


Remnants of Fate

by Zelenal



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014), RWBY
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Bisexual Female Character, Canon Blending, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, Friendship, Gen, Male Protagonist, Male-Female Friendship, Minor AU, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-05-26 16:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 67,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15004844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zelenal/pseuds/Zelenal
Summary: A boy who has sacrificed everything to gain nothing. A girl who wishes to save everything while sacrificing nothing. These two contradictory yet similar people are placed on a collision course with forces beyond their understanding. Emiya Shirou moves from one war to the next while Ruby Rose must face the endless war she was born in to. They both fight for their ideals but reality isn't so kind as to let ideals remain unchallenged. All they can do is carry on against the lingering remnants of fate.





	1. V1C1: A Different Fate

    Screaming and the snarls of beasts filled the air as black smoke drifted into the night sky. The creatures of Grimm rampaged about the village as the people ran for their lives, a brave few futilely fighting against their fate. As a small group fled from a pack of Beowolves, a young girl in the group tripped and fell. Her mother stopped and turned back, screaming for her child, but there was no hope. The lead Beowolf pounced, its maw opened wide to devour the girl that screamed in terror.

    There was a streak of silver and the Beowolf was stopped, a large hole appearing in its torso. Like an avenging angel, a figure clad in blue and white descended from the heavens, his black longsword gleaming in the moonlight as he brought it down to cleave the beast in two. Without hesitating, he plowed through the disappearing remains of the lead Beowolf and lashed out at the others. The villagers could only stare in awe as the man moved with precision, power, and grace; his blade like a fierce gale as he tore through the pack of Beowolves. Their limbs were removed, their dark hearts run through, and their heads severed from their bodies without stop.

    It had only been a few moments but the last of the ten Beowolves had already been killed.

    Having come to a stop, the villagers could finally get a good look at their savior as he turned towards the still prone girl. He was very young— clearly no older than eighteen— and had short, red hair that framed an angular face with shocking ocher eyes. His garb was similar to that of a knight but it also carried about it an air of regality. All of his armor; from the vambrace on his left arm to the spaulders and rerebraces over his shoulders, his cuirass and faulds, his greaves and sabatons, to even his gauntlets where a silver-white in color that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Beneath his armor, he wore a long sleeve shirt that was a vibrant royal blue with white trimmings and thick, black stripes that ran down the outside of his arms. Strapped to his side at his waist was an equally blue scabbard with gold traceries and across his back was a black quiver.

    The man approached the young girl and held out his left hand towards her. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice full of calm compassion. The young girl blushed but nodded, not trusting her voice as she grabbed his offered hand and stood up.  “Good,” he smiled slightly before his expression hardened once more. “All of you, get to the church. I’ve already cleared the Grimm out of that area and it’ll be easier to protect you if you’re all together. I need to go see if there are any more survivors.” Without waiting for a response, the man turned and took to the rooftops, his work far from finished.

OoOoOoO

    Emiya Shirou sighed as he saw yet another corpse being devoured by the Grimm. At one point in time, he would have blamed himself for not having been fast enough or strong enough and he would have bemoaned the fact that his ideal of saving everyone would be forever out of his reach but that had been a lifetime ago. Now he just mourned the loss of life for but an instant before moving on, never paying that corpse another thought.

    Spotting three Creeps cornering a young couple, Shirou activated his weapon’s transformation and shifted it to his left hand as it quickly turned into a black bow. With practiced ease, he secured the string and knocked an arrow, releasing it a heartbeat later. Two more followed in short order and all three Creeps were struck down before any of them could so much as blink. He wanted to tell the couple about the church but they were too far away to hear if he shouted, even if he strengthened his vocal cords, and he had other, more pressing concerns so he let them be for now.

    Shirou knocked another arrow and turned his aim towards the sky at the small Nevermore that was flying around. Shirou held the arrow ready for a moment, its head sparkling with white Dust, before letting it fly. Upon impact, the Nevermore’s left wing was encased in a solid block of ice causing it to screech in pain as it plummeted to the ground. It wasn’t dead but it also wouldn’t be a threat for a while. That seemed to be the only flying Grimm this time around and for that he was thankful. He could shoot them down easily enough but they were still more of a pain than most of their land-bound brethren.

    After surveying what he could see of the village from his vantage, Shirou started to move again, trying to find that couple from earlier. There weren’t that many Grimm this time around so he could probably declare the village reasonably safe after another half hour or so if he was lucky. It helped that nothing here seemed particularly dangerous, comparatively. He was also glad that Ozpin had been right in guessing that this village was one of three that would likely be subjected to one of the unprovoked Grimm attacks that had been plaguing the Kingdom of Vale for the past three months. With any luck, this would let him figure out what Salem was up to.

    Shaking his head to clear it, Shirou focused on the task at hand. The night was still young and a Huntsman's work was never done.

OoOoOoO

    “Excellent work, Shirou,” Ozpin said over the Scroll after Shirou gave his report. It was now just after seven in the morning and a rather groggy Shirou was leading the survivors to the nearest town. He had been right about how long it would take him to clean up the rest of the Grimm but any thoughts of sleep were pushed from his mind when he entered the church and saw all of the wounded that needed to be tended to. While he was nowhere near a professional, he knew enough about first aid to make sure everyone was properly bandaged and fit for travel. After that had been taken care of, it was already dawn.

    “Any idea what she’s after?” Shirou said, nodding his head to accept Ozpin’s praise.

    Ozpin scowled, “Not quite. I have it narrowed down to three possibilities and all three of them just lead to more questions.”

    Shirou snorted, “Business as usual, then.”

    Ozpin allowed himself a small smile, “Quite. Anyway, I need you to return to Vale as soon as possible. I have your next mission lined up and it’s going to be a long one.”

    Shirou grunted in response. Pretty much ever since he arrived in Remnant and had fully recovered, Ozpin had been sending him on mission after mission. Not that he could really complain. Even after all of the hell he had been through, Shirou still desired to save people because that is what  _ she _ would want to do. “What’s the job this time?”

    “Oh, it’s nothing too difficult. I just need you to watch over someone for me.”

    “Bodyguard duty? That’s new. Did you find another one of  _ them _ ?”

    “No, not yet. This is someone… I wouldn’t say ‘unexpected’ but they showed up far more dramatically than I thought they would.”

    “Why me? Don’t you normally have Qrow handle these things?”

    “Yes but these are special circumstances. Your age is closer, which will be helpful, and no one knows who you are. Besides, your mission isn’t necessarily to protect, just to observe and… do whatever comes naturally. The two of you have quite a bit in common.”

    Shirou gave Ozpin a flat look, “What are you not telling me?”

    Ozpin smiled enigmatically as he sipped from his coffee cup, “An airship will arrive for you at the town to pick you up this afternoon. I’ll meet you at your apartment to go over the details then.”

    Shirou nodded, biting back a sigh at his benefactor’s mysterious nature. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if the jerk didn’t  _ enjoy _ it. “Alright. I’ll see you then.” As the call was ended and he returned his Scroll to his pocket, Shirou forced himself to brighten up a bit. Despite whatever Ozpin was hiding, the mission sounded straightforward enough and, if he was being honest, he needed something simple after having been running all over Remnant the past few months. This change of pace was probably going to be just the relaxing break he needed.

OoOoOoO

    Shirou bit back another curse as he stared at the building before him. This was absolutely  _ not _ going to be the relaxing break that he needed. He had no idea what had compelled Ozpin to enroll him in his school and assign him to watch over someone called Ruby Rose but this was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. It wasn’t a slight against her or anyone else at the school, it was just that the familiar routines and encounters this promised would undoubtedly bring back painful memories that he absolutely didn’t want.

    Qrow promising to inflict pain unimaginable on him if he did something funny with his niece was also unwanted, for more reasons than one. As if he’d dishonor  _ her _ memory like that.

    Regardless of his personal feelings, it’s not like Shirou had a choice in the matter. Ozpin had been gracious enough to take him in after Qrow had found him unconscious in a field somewhere and then had helped him get adjusted to living in a new world. He had even believed him when he told him an abridged version of his story. Shirou owed a great debt to Ozpin and, if for nothing else, he’d do just about whatever was asked of him to try and discharge that debt. It certainly helped that Ozpin had let him in on some of Remnant’s secrets which let Shirou fully appreciate the importance of his target.

    Shirou’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an explosion going off nearby. The complete lack of reaction from the students milling about around him made him, not for the first time, question the sanity of the people in this world. Not one to leave well enough alone, Shirou pushed his way through the crowd to where the explosion had happened.

    He somehow wasn’t surprised to find Ruby Rose standing there.

    “This isn’t your ordinary combat school. It’s not just sparring and practice, you know! We’re here to fight  _ monsters _ so… watch where you’re going!” A girl with long, white hair done up in a side ponytail was currently berating her. The girl looked vaguely familiar to Shirou but he couldn’t place her.

    “Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!” Ruby replied, clearly aggravated by the dressing down.

    “Is everything okay here?” Shirou asked as he stepped forward. A bit too late, he noticed another girl who had been approaching, one with black hair and curious yellow eyes, stop and close her mouth.

    “Everything is perfectly alright, no thanks to this dolt!” the white-haired girl said.

    “I’m glad no one’s hurt,” Shirou said, cutting off Ruby to try and curtail the argument. “What happened?” Shirou posed the question to Ruby first, making sure that it didn’t seem like he was ignoring her. He was idly aware of the black-haired girl walking away.

    “My sister and I just got here and then she ran off with her friends and I fell down onto her luggage and then she started waving a vial of Dust in my face and it made me sneeze and then everything exploded and she started shouting and me and I said I was sorry but she kept shouting and I was getting mad and I didn’t know what to do and–” 

    “Whoa! Calm down! Deep breaths. Everything’s fine,” Shirou waved his hands in a placating gesture, trying to stop the younger girl from passing out due to the lack of oxygen. “Well? What’s your story?” he turned his attention to the white-haired girl. She folded her arms and raised her head slightly, trying her best to look down on him despite being shorter.

    “I was taking my luggage to place it in storage when this dolt crashed into me. It contains a lot of Dust powder obtained directly from the Schnee quarry so I reprimanded her for her carelessness. If it wasn’t so well secured, she could have blown this entire area to kingdom come. She seemed to be unaware of these facts so I took it upon myself to educate her. It seems that the vial I was holding had been slightly opened by the crash and some of the Dust became airborne as I moved it. This caused her to sneeze which triggered the explosion.”

    Shirou blinked a few times. “That’s strange. Dust is pretty stable so sneezing shouldn’t have set it off like that.”

    “That’s… true. There must have been an error in the refinement process to cause such a reaction.”

    “Then it sounds to me like this was a happy accident. If you had tried to use that Dust normally, who knows what would have happened.”

    The white-haired girl huffed even as Ruby looked hopeful. “I suppose you’re right.” She turned to face Ruby, “You… have my gratitude. This error could have been… problematic if it wasn’t discovered until later. I… apologize for acting so harshly.”

    Ruby beamed at the other girl, “It’s okay! I’d probably be upset if someone fell into my stuff, too.” She stuck out her hand, “I’m Ruby Rose!”

    The white-haired girl stared at the offered hand for a moment before almost reluctantly shaking it, “Weiss Schnee.” Shirou had to resist the urge to smack himself. No wonder she seemed so familiar seeing as how Ozpin had made certain that he knew all of the big names on Remnant. “You should still take care to watch where you’re going in the future.” With that last remark, Weiss turned sharply and left with her luggage.

    Ruby watched her walk off for a moment, stunned by the sudden reversal of her last comment, before shaking herself and turning to Shirou, a kind smile on her face. “Thanks for that. I don’t know what would have happened if she kept shouting at me.”

    “No problem. I’m honestly surprised no one else seemed to care that there was an explosion in the middle of the courtyard.”

    “Well, you know how it is. It’s a big day and everyone’s super nervous and focused. I know you just heard it but I’m Ruby Rose! What’s your name?”

    Shirou shook her hand, “Emiya Shirou. You can call me Shirou. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ruby.”

    “Likewise!”

OoOoOoO

    “Why do you use a bow?” Ruby asked as Shirou finished demonstrating his weapon to her. They were currently slowly walking towards the auditorium where the initiation speech would be held.

    “A lot of reasons. The biggest is probably simply because I don’t like using guns. The mindset one needs for archery is a lot more suited to me.”

    “That’s cool. Not a lot of people can really appreciate the classics and a bow and sword really fit that knight armor you’re wearing. So what’s your range on that thing?”

    “I don’t really know. I did manage to hit a target about seventy meters out once so I can shoot accurately at least that far.”

    “Seventy meters?”

    “Um… That’s about seventy-seven yards.”

    “That’s pretty good! The maximum effective range of Crescent Rose is about two thousand yards but I’ve only managed to go about half that.”

    Shirou nodded slowly, “That’s certainly impressive. It sounds like you’d be really helpful to have around in a fight.”

    Ruby’s eyes lit up as she smiled brightly, “You really think so‽”

    “Yeah. You can shoot things from nearly a kilometer away and your melee weapon is a scythe. Those are really dangerous weapons that require a lot of skill to use; I only know of one other person who uses one. Then there’s the fact that you managed to get into Beacon, the top Hunter school in Vale, two years early. Given all that, of course you’d be helpful as either long range support or a partner in close combat.”

    Ruby stared at the ground to hide the massive blush that consumed her entire face. “Thanks, Shirou,” she said softly.

    “I’m just speaking the truth. Come on. We should pick up the pace so we don’t be late.”

OoOoOoO

    Ruby and Shirou entered Beacon’s auditorium only to instantly be assaulted by a wall of noise. Thirty or forty students were almost crammed together, talking excitedly to friends both old and new about what their future held.

    “Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!” a voice called out from the crowd. Ruby and Shirou looked to see a rather busty woman with extremely long and curly blond hair waving in their direction.

    “Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I’ll see you after the ceremony!” Ruby said to Shirou before running off.

    Shirou raised a hand and waved lazily, “See you later.”

    Yang Xiao Long crossed her arms as Ruby came to a stop in front of her, “How’s your first day going, little sister?”

    “It’s been crazy! After you ditched me, I tripped over another girl’s luggage! She started shouting at me and then I exploded and she shouted some more but then this really nice guy came up and calmed her down!”

    “Yikes! You exploded? What did she do that made you so angry?”

    “No, I  _ literally _ exploded a hole in front of the school! That girl was waving a vial of Dust in my face and some of it came out and it made me sneeze and it exploded!”

    “Why did it explode? It shouldn’t have done that.”

    “That’s what Shirou said! After he pointed that out, Weiss apologized and took off.”

    “I take it this Shirou is that guy you walked in with?”

    “Yeah, he was super nice. We talked on the way here and he said I’d be really good to have around in a fight.”

    Yang smiled knowingly at Ruby, “Well, good on ya, sis. Didn’t think you’d find one on your first day. And a really good looking one at that. Guess I must have rubbed off on ya.”

    “Found one wha-” Ruby’s look of confusion was instantly replaced with one of horror, a massive blush consuming her face as she realized what her sister was going on about. “It’s not like that!”

    Yang chuckled, “Calm down, Rubes, I was just messing with ya. Oh, hey, Professor Ozpin’s on.”

    Up on the stage, Professor Ozpin stepped up to the microphone a checked it, a faraway look on his face, “I’ll… keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction.” A low murmur broke out among the crowd at this. “You assume knowledge will free you of this but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step.”

    As Ozpin turned to leave, Professor Glynda, who had been standing beside him, stepped up to the mic, “You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation test begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.”

    Yang and Ruby both frowned. “He seemed kind of… off,” Yang said.

    “It’s almost like he wasn’t even there,” Ruby added.

    Elsewhere in the crowd, Shirou scowled. That had been enigmatic and pessimistic even for Ozpin.  _ ‘Something changed but what? Did he figure out something about the attacks? Does it have to do with one of the Maidens? Or is it something else that he’s hiding? It seemed like the more I learn about Remnant, the less I know. I just hope that, whatever it is, we can actually do something about it.’ _

OoOoOoO

    That night found all of the first-year students camped out in the ballroom; the hall nearly packed to the brim with sleeping bags and miscellaneous luggage. It was here that Ruby was laying down on her stomach, writing away at a journal.

    “It’s like a big slumber party!” Yang said as she crashed onto the sleeping bag next to Ruby’s.

    Ruby didn’t even pause in her writing, “I don’t think Dad would approve of all the boys, though.”

    “I know  _ I _ do,” Yang replied as she purred at the muscular and shirtless guys walking by. Then a rather scraggly looking blond guy in footie pajamas walked by and waved at her which turned that purr into a groan. Of course there’d be duds with the studs. Turning her attention back to Ruby, Yang said, “What’s that?”

    “A letter to the gang back in Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going.”

    “Aw, that’s so cute!” Yang was suddenly knocked back when a supersonic pillow materialized in her face.

    “Shut up! I didn’t get to take my friends with me to school! It’s weird not knowing anyone here!”

    “What about Shirou? He seems pretty nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That’s a hundred percent increase!”

    Ruby smiled slightly as she rolled onto her back, “Yeah, you’re right. Weiss was also not  _ that _ bad when she wasn’t angry. I could probably be her friend if I don’t do something stupid.”

    “See? You’ll be fine! You’re surrounded by friends you just haven’t made yet!” Yang let her eyes drift over the crowd when she saw someone familiar. “Hey, isn’t that Shirou over there?”

    Ruby sat up and looked to where Yang was pointing. She saw a familiar mop of red hair and ocher eyes staring down at the Scroll in his hands. It was kinda weird seeing him in pajamas— a white t-shirt and blue cotton pants— since his armor had made such a striking impression but it was definitely him. “Yeah, it is.”

    “Let’s go over and say hi. I want to meet my lil sis’ first friend at Beacon.”

    “C’mon, Yang! You’re just going to embarrass me!”

    “Now Ruby,” Yang said as she hauled her little sister up, her face one of deadly seriousness, “As your elder sister, it’s my duty to embarrass you every chance I get. Now let’s go!”

    Shirou looked up from his Scroll when he heard the sounds of a struggle going on only to have to bite back a sigh at the sight of none other than Ruby Rose being drug in his direction by that blonde girl who had called out to her earlier.  _ ‘That girl really knows how to draw attention to herself,’ _ Shirou thought as he put away his Scroll and stood up.

    “Hey there! I’m Yang Xiao Long!” Yang said as she held out her hand.

    Shirou shook her hand, “Emiya Shirou but you can call me Shirou. Hey Ruby.” Ruby shyly waved at him from her spot behind Yang. “I take it you’re the big sister Ruby talked about?”

    “That’s right! I heard you helped my lil sis out so I decided to come meet ya!”

    “It was nothing, really. There was an explosion and she seemed to be in trouble so it’s only natural to want to help.”

    Yang smirked, “So you like playing the knight in shining armor? Guess that explains your outfit before.”

    They both ignored Ruby’s indignant exclamation of Yang’s name. “I… guess. I like helping people so that’s why I’m doing this.”

    “So you’re just like Ruby.”

    “What do you mean? Actually, wait,” Shirou held up a hand to stop Yang from answering before turning to face Ruby. “I’m sorry. I’ve been talking about you like you aren’t here.”

    “Oh, no, it’s okay,” Ruby answered somewhat bashfully. “Yang’s right, though. When I was little, she used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… They’re one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress! As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books… Someone who fought for what was right and protected people who couldn’t protect themselves! I want everyone to be able to live happily ever after.”

    At the conclusion of her speech, Ruby and Yang were both taken aback. Shirou  _ smiled _ . It wasn’t the act itself that struck them since he usually wore a gentle smile when talking to people but this was completely different from those. This smile was full of joy like a smile should be but also a bitterness, sorrow, and overwhelming  _ loneliness _ that struck them both dumb. His eyes had become far away, making it clear that he was no longer looking at them but at some distant place not doubt buried deep within his memory, and he just looked so  _ old _ that neither of them could believe that this was the same guy they had been talking to not a moment before. 

    When Shirou spoke, it was with a voice that somehow completely lacked all of the emotion that played across his face yet was still completely honest. “So you and I really are alike. I look forward to working with you in the future. I’m sure we’ll get along great.”

    Ruby blinked rapidly as she tried to process what she just saw. Shirou’s face had made such a startling transformation for only an instant and was now back to his usual kind smile but it had been so extreme that it had felt like a lifetime. “Uh… yeah. I look forward to it, too. Well, we should probably be getting on to bed. Goodnight, Shirou.”

    “Goodnight, Ruby, Yang.”

    Once back at their sleeping bags, Ruby flopped down onto her stomach and returned her attention to the letter she had been writing. After staring at the page for a moment, she shut the book and rolled onto her back, her head still swimming from Shirou’s expression.

    “So, that’s a thing that happened,” Yang said as she joined her sister in ceiling gazing.

    “What could make a person look like that?” Ruby asked as she laid the back of her hand across her forehead.

    “I have no idea, Rubes, but it couldn’t have been nice.”

    Ruby hummed but said nothing as she let her mind work. She didn’t know what could have caused Shirou to look like that but she knew that she didn’t want him to have that expression ever again. He had been so nice and helpful and people like him deserved to be rewarded and be happy for what they did. She didn’t know if it would help any but she decided that she’d be his friend and help him any way she could. Emotional troubles were far beyond her realm of expertise but she could do no less. With that fire of determination burning inside her, Ruby let herself drift off to sleep.

OoOoOoO

    Shirou awoke with a start and barely managed to stop himself from screaming. A quick check of his Scroll showed it to be just after four in the morning and, unsurprisingly, everyone was still asleep. He sat up and fought to catch his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow before grimacing and plucking his shirt away from his chest. He was covered in sweat and he had no idea where the showers in Beacon were or even if he’d be allowed access to them. Regardless, he knew that he’d be getting no more sleep that night so he rolled up his bedroll and left it beside his satchel before quietly making his way outside the ballroom.

   It was a pretty cool night, being the beginning of Autumn, and Shirou was thankful for the gentle breeze cooling down his overheated body. Ever since he had come to on Remnant, he had never had a full night’s sleep. While he had been used to having nightmares for his entire life, the new ones he’d been having were  _ much _ worse. He always thought that he remembered that fire perfectly, like it had just happened yesterday, but he couldn’t have been farther from the truth. He remembered all of the facts, yes, but the years had made him almost forget how it felt. He remembered how it felt, sure, but he had forgotten how it truly  _ felt _ . With these new nightmares, however, there was no such problem. Even after nearly half a year on Remnant, those feelings were just as clear now as they had been during the events themselves.

    To make matters worse, it seemed that Shirou had let emotions show to Ruby and Yang that he really shouldn’t have. Their expressions of shock, Ruby’s delayed response, and their awkward shuffling off made that abundantly clear. He just hadn’t been expecting it. To find someone who was so much like he had been before the end of the Holy Grail War yet completely unbroken and innocent. Shirou knew that Ruby had lost her mother when she was very little and that loss was probably one of the reasons she wanted to be a Huntress but there had been absolutely no pain in her when she talked about her dreams. There was fondness, gentleness, and a little shyness but there were no distortions. She wanted to make sure  _ everyone _ , including herself, was saved and she fully believed that it was possible.

    A part of Shirou wanted to take Ruby aside and yell at her for her foolish ideals, to tell her that her path can only lead her to a Hell unlike any other, yet another part admired her for it. That part wanted to protect her and do everything it could to guide her down her path. It would be a cruel thing to do in the long run but who was he to stand in the way of another’s ideals? Especially when those ideals had not only once been his own but had also been  _ hers _ .

    As Shirou walked over to the fountain in the courtyard and splashed his face with the cold water, he made up his mind. Ozpin’s orders aside, he was going to do everything in his power to prepare Ruby for the world that lay beyond Beacon’s borders. The world was a cruel and terrifying place that would no doubt crush her dreams and ideals but he’d make sure that, when that time came, she’d be able to walk away from it. He could do no less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A few things to know before you carry on:
> 
> Make sure you pay attention to those "Minor AU" and "Canon Blending" tags. Some things about the RWBYverse have been altered to be more in line with the Nasuverse. You won't have to worry too much about these changes; they'll be explained as they come up and basically everything that the show has explained is still true here. There are also a few other minor tweaks here and there but nothing terribly major.
> 
> This Emiya Shirou is not quite the Emiya Shirou you guys are familiar with, assuming that you're familiar with him at all. His Fifth Holy Grail War isn't like any of the ones from the canon routes or even Hollow Ataraxia. More details about Shirou's past will come up as the story progresses but the most important thing to note here is that this Shirou managed to convince Kiritsugu to properly train him in magecraft.
> 
> It's also worth noting that the characters from RWBY have all been buffed. If I'm being honest, going by what we've seen, Shirou should be able to curbstomp basically everyone from RWBY so I gave everyone else a power boost to correct for that. Exactly where Shirou lies on the power scale will be made clearer as the story progresses.
> 
> For the most part, the story will start off pretty similar to canon. Shirou's presence won't make too much of an impact but things will change more and more because of his influence as the story progresses. I _will_ be diverging from canon at some point in the future but that's a ways off.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed what you've read so far. Please drop a review if you did and also if you didn't. I hope to see you next chapter!


	2. V1C2: Cooking Up Friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Now that everyone who's reading this has read the first chapter, I'd like to introduce you all to something I'll be doing for this story. Certain major battles and scenes will have an accompanying song linked in the text and each Volume will have its own OP. As such, the OP I'll be using for Volume 1 of _Remnants of Fate_ is [ "Butter-Fly" by Wada Kouji.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd9xzPaVc68&index=7&list=PLZYO5EKiKnykvstJ4WquvY8u8TwNGaF6Q&t=0s)

    Shirou sighed as he poked around the small kitchen the first-years were granted access to. There was a cafeteria to eat at but Shirou had long ago vowed to never eat school food unless he was starving to death. And even then, he’d probably contemplate eating one of his legs first. After all, his cooking was the only thing he really had pride in and the only real joy he had experienced since arriving on Remnant had been the looks on the faces of Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda when they had sampled it. That look of amazement and wonder was a memory he’d likely treasure forever, especially in the case of Ozpin who very rarely emoted beyond that vaguely mischievous smile.

    The only problem was that the pantries of this kitchen were very poorly stocked. Beyond some very basic (to Shirou) things, there wasn’t much that could be made with the ingredients on hand. It was clear that the people who stocked it weren’t expecting anyone of any real talent to be cooking and it was equally clear that the first thing Shirou needed to do when he had the chance was procure better cooking supplies.

    Still, the limited nature of the ingredients did excite Shirou almost as much as it disappointed him. After all, the test of a great chef is the ability to make a great meal out of basically anything and Shirou almost always had any ingredient or utensil on hand. As such, this presented a perfect opportunity to prove his mettle. Or, rather, his cast iron. If he couldn’t rise to this challenge then he was certainly a failure as a chef.

    Cracking his knuckles, Shirou got to work.

OoOoOoO

    An hour later, Shirou looked over the fruits of his labor. He had set out to just make breakfast for himself but ended up making enough to feed a small army. This also had the side effect of almost completely clearing out the pantry of this kitchen but that couldn’t be helped.

    Despite the lapse of self-control, Shirou was proud of himself. He had managed to make a wide variety of dishes that were all more-or-less to his standard despite the limitations. The Western staples of breakfast— bacon, sausage, eggs (made in a number of ways), toast, pancakes, and waffles— were all there since that was primarily what this kitchen was stocked for but that was hardly all he had made. Omelets of all kinds, aloo paratha, crepes, bhatoora, and tamago kake gohan, to name a few, were also present. Not all of them had everything they should have but they were all close enough to be recognizable.

    While Shirou was proud of his success, he was still faced with the fact that he had more food than he could ever possibly eat. He contemplated placing a sign outside the door to try and attract the other students but a quick check of the clock put a halt to that plan. It was only just past six now and only a few of the students in the ballroom were starting to get up. The initiation test wasn’t until eight so it’s not like they were in any hurry, after all.

    While Shirou was contemplating what to do, he heard the voice of a way-too-energetic-for-this-or-any-time girl approaching. She was clearly talking to someone else but he couldn’t hear any other footsteps beside hers. Slightly curious, he sniffed at the air and pushed past the smell of the food to focus on his ability to smell power. While he could only smell magic in his home world, he was surprised to find that he could smell people with an unsealed Aura as well. The girl he could smell with ease— her scent was one distinctly of ozone— and he could very faintly smell the other students in the ballroom but nothing else.

    This left three distinct options to Shirou: The girl was crazy and talking to an imaginary friend (hopefully unlikely but one can never tell with Ozpin), the person she was talking to didn’t have an unleashed Aura (almost certainly unlikely since that was a basic requirement for a Hunter), or they had very impressive presence concealment abilities. The girl talking to someone over a Scroll would have also been possible but what she was talking about (hoping they got put on the same team) made that so unlikely as to essentially be impossible.

    When the (hopefully) pair neared the kitchen, the girl suddenly cut herself off. “Oohhhh! Something smells really, really good! C’mon, hurry up! We need to get some of that!” The girl burst into the kitchen with surprising speed, dragging along a rather unenthused guy who Shirou was quite relieved actually existed. She was an orange-haired girl of a somewhat short stature with vibrant green eyes and a strong build that wore an eclectic mix of items and colors. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail with a single magenta streak on the left side that accented his pale pink eyes. His clothing fascinated Shirou since it was completely normal, if rather ornate, and resembled a Chinese tailcoat.

    The girl skidded to a stop and just stared in awe, drooling at the vast array of food laid out on the table. The guy was a lot more reserved in his reaction but the widening of his eyes showed that he was just as awed. After a nearly half a minute passed in total silence, Shirou decided to speak up. “Good morning.”

    That seemed to snap the boy out of his stupor as he shook himself and turned to look at Shirou. “Did… you make all of this?” he asked, a hint of awe and disbelief in his voice.

    “Yeah,” Shirou said sheepishly, scratching at the back of his head. “I meant to only make breakfast for myself but I kind of got carried away. You’re free to have some if you—” Shirou didn’t even get to finish making his offer before the girl was on the food in the flash, devouring it with surprising and mildly alarming haste. The sight reminded him painfully of  _ her _ , even if this girl wasn’t nearly as elegant or beautiful, and it took all of his willpower to keep his expression under control.

    “Sorry about that,” the guy said as he calmly took a seat next to the girl. “She’s pretty serious about her food.”

    “It’s fine. I’m actually pretty used to it. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you want.”

    “Thank you very much,” he said before choosing a dish and gracefully taking a bite. The second the food touched his tongue, he froze and his eyes became as wide as saucers. Shirou couldn’t help but chuckle as he then began to eat nearly as quickly as the girl but stopped when he came to a somewhat disturbing realization: If he didn’t start eating himself, there’d be no more left for him.

    Shirou started eating.

OoOoOoO

    “That was sooooo gooooooood,” the girl said as she patted her slightly distended stomach. Shirou could only look on in awe at the veritable mountain of empty dishes. An hour of cooking all that food and two people had eaten 95% of it (the girl had eaten about 80% of it with the guy eating 15%). At least none of it went to waste.

    “I have to agree,” the boy said. “The vast array of flavors present was astonishing and everything was cooked to perfection. I had no idea what even half of those dishes were yet all of them agreed with me perfectly. That was honestly probably the best meal I have had in my life.”

    Shirou blushed and scratched the back of his head, “Thank you very much.”

    “After allowing us to eat such a delicious meal, we should probably introduce ourselves. I’m Lie Ren and this is my friend, Nora Valkyrie.”

    “Hi there!”

    “I’m Emiya Shirou. It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.”

    “The pleasure is all ours,” Ren said.

    Shirou got up and started to do the dishes. Ren joined him a moment later. “So, what were you two talking about before you walked in here?” Shirou asked.

    “Oh, that’s right!” Nora said. “Ren and I have been friends  _ forever _ and we were talking about how we hoped to be placed on the same team. I was just about to say that we should totally work out a way to make sure that happens! What about you, Emiya? Anyone you wanna be on a team with?”

    Shirou contemplated his answer for a moment. While he couldn’t come out and say that Ozpin was going to be rigging things to ensure that he  _ wasn’t _ placed on a team to keep him a relatively free agent, Nora’s question was still worth considering. “Call me Shirou,” he said first. “I can’t really say that I do. I don’t really know anyone here so I don’t really have a preference. I’ve found that I can work with just about anyone so that shouldn’t be a problem, either. If I absolutely had to choose, I guess being on a team with you two wouldn’t be too bad since I already know you. Same goes for the other three— no, for two of the other three people that I’ve already met here.”

    “Well,  _ I _ hope you get put on a team with Ren and me. That way you can cook for me more!”

    “Nora…,” Ren said in warning.

    “Hey, you’re thinking it, too!” The fact that Ren didn’t deny this wasn’t suspicious at all, no siree.

    Shirou smiled as the topic then shifted to inconsequential things. Ren and Nora made a very odd couple due to how wildly different they were but there was an undeniable fondness in their interactions that made them fun to watch, even if it left a pang in Shirou’s heart. Both of them were also incredibly easy to get along with which just made it all the more enjoyable. Ren’s serious and straightforward attitude, in particular, brought yet another pang to his heart as he was reminded of Ryuudou Issei but he quickly pushed those thoughts down. Meanwhile, Nora’s bubbly nature and boundless energy reminded him of Fujimura Taiga and it took all his willpower to not let anything show on his face.

    With Shirou washing and Ren drying and putting away (with Nora providing “moral support”), the dishes were done in record time. It was now around seven so the trio decided to go ahead and head to the locker room to get their gear. They still had nearly an hour left but Ren and Shirou both wanted to get there with plenty of time and they managed to convince Nora.

    By now, most of the other first-years were varying levels of awake and were starting to mill about the ballroom. As the trio passed through, Shirou caught sight of Ruby getting ready and waved at her.

    “Who’s that? Oooh, is she a friend of yours?” Nora asked.

    “That’s Ruby Rose. She’s one of the people I talked about earlier. As for her being my friend… Yeah, sure, I suppose you could call her that,” Shirou replied.

    “Let’s go talk to her!”

    “Nora, we need to get going. No doubt that this Ruby needs to get ready, too. There will be plenty of time to talk to her later,” Ren said as he grabbed Nora by the back of her shirt and drug her along.

    “Awwww, you’re such a fuddy-duddy, Ren!” Nora crossed her arms in a pout as she let Ren drag her. After a moment, she started walking on her own. “So, Shirou, who were the other two you said you met?”

    “That would be Ruby’s sister, Yang Xiao Long, who doesn’t seem to be around, and Weiss Schnee.”

    “Schnee… Schnee… Of the Schnee Dust Corporation?” Ren asked.

    “One and the same. I think she’s the heiress.”

    “I wonder why she came to Beacon instead of Atlas Academy.”

    “Who knows. I’ve heard some rumors about them but I don’t really put stock in rumors. Maybe she just prefers the weather here.”

    “Or maybe she’s acting as a double agent for Atlas and is here to steal all of our pancakes!”

    Shirou just  _ stared _ at Nora before looking at Ren. Ren shrugged. Shirou shook his head and just ignored her. “It doesn’t really matter why she’s here. She’s here and in the same year as us so we’ll have to deal with her at least some of the time.”

    “So she’s the one you wouldn’t want to be on a team with?” Ren asked.

    “It’s not so much that as it is that she wouldn’t be my first choice. She struck me as rather self-centered and that’s not a quality you want in a teammate. She  _ did _ see reason so she’ll hopefully get better buuuuut….”

    Ren nodded, “I understand. Seeing as how we’ll be thrust into a dangerous situation from the beginning, having someone you know is trustworthy watching your back is certainly preferable.”

    By this point, the group had reached the weapon storage/locker room so they split up to grab their weapons. Once equipped, Shirou started to make his way to the exit when a familiar voice stopped him.

    “Hey, Shirou!” Shirou turned around to see Yang walking towards him, making the final adjustments on Ember Cecilia. “Is Rubes with you?”

    “Ruby? No, she isn’t. Last I saw her, she was still in the ballroom. Why do you ask?”

    “Really? That’s weird. We didn’t see you when we woke up and she decided to stay behind for a bit. Said she wanted to talk to you about something. You said you saw her in the ballroom? Did she see you?”

    “Yeah. We waved at each other but she didn’t do anything else. Just went back to fiddling with her pack.”

    “Sorry I’m late!” Another higher pitched voice said, interrupting a confused and slightly concerned Yang. “Oh! Shirou!” Ruby Rose came screeching to a halt in front of them, a trail of rose petals behind her. “What are you doing here?”

    “Yang said you wanted to talk to me. Why didn’t you stop me in the ballroom?”

    “Oh, you know, you were talking with those other two people and I didn’t want to be a bother and intrude,” Ruby said as she fidgeted nervously.

    Now, Shirou wasn’t the most perceptive person when it came to the opposite gender but even he could see social awkwardness when it was this blatant. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t want to be a bother, she just had no idea how to insert herself into an ongoing conversation. Sakura had been a bit like that when around strangers but she was nowhere near the level Ruby was. He had no idea how to help a person get over that but he hoped the team-based structure would help a bit. Either way, he’d certainly look into the subject later.

    “I see,” Shirou said. “It wouldn’t have been that much of a bother; we were actually talking about you and Yang.”

    “You’ve got friends here you didn’t tell us about, Shirou?” Yang asked.

    “No, I don’t. I just met Ren and Nora earlier this morning.”

    “Well, hey! Plus two friends! Me and Rubes make another two! That means you’re up four friends in twenty-four hours! See, Rubes?” Yang lightly slapped the embarrassed looking Ruby on the shoulder. “It’s easy! Like I said, you’ll have plenty of friends in no time!”

    “It’s not that easy!” Ruby said indignantly as she turned around and marched to her locker. “I mean, sure, it’s easy for Shirou but he’s super nice and easy to talk to! He could probably make friends with anyone after talking to them for a few minutes!”

    Now it was Shirou’s turn to be embarrassed as he waved his hands back and forth. “Oi oi. It’s nothing  _ that _ special. I agree with Yang on this one. You’re also pretty nice so I’m sure you’ll be fine if you relax and actually talk to them.”

    Ruby finished her check of Crescent Rose and let it lay across the back of her waist in its holster before shyly turning to look at Shirou. “Do you really think so?”

    “I’m positive.” Shirou quickly scanned the room and was disappointed when he didn’t see Ren or Nora. He was plenty certain that they’d get along with Ruby. There  _ was _ one other familiar face but that would be more of a gamble.  _ ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess. It’ll hopefully be better than nothing,’ _ Shirou thought as he made his decision. “Look, there’s Weiss over there. I’ll tell you what: I’ll go over there with you and get us into the conversation she’s having with those other two and you can take it from there.”

    “I dunno, Shirou. She was kinda mean.”

    “Yeah, but she wasn’t  _ all _ bad. Besides, if you can become friends with her then it’ll be that much easier for you to become friends with people who give you a better first impression.”

    “Well… Okay. I guess it couldn’t hurt.

    As the two started to walk off, Yang called out, “I’ll catch you guys at the launch site!”

    “Okay! See ya later, sis!”

    “Later, Yang.” As Shirou started to turn back, Yang caught his eye and made him pause. When Ruby couldn’t see her, Yang gave Shirou a thumbs up and appreciative smile before walking off.

    As the duo approached Weiss, they started to hear the ongoing conversation she was in. “That’s  _ you‽”  _ An unidentified blond guy in a ridiculous combination of a chest plate, blue jeans, and a  _ hoodie _ said towards a long-haired redhead who Shirou knew by reputation. “But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!”

    “Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn’t very good for you,” Pyrrha, the redhead, said.

    “So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you’re in a position to ask  _ her _ to be on your team?” Weiss said. It was clear that her crabby attitude wasn’t a situational thing.

    “I guess not… Sorry….” Jaune said as his body slumped, the perfect picture of total rejection.

    “I wouldn’t say that,” Shirou said as he stepped closer. The three turned to look at the duo and Shirou noticed a look of annoyed recognition pass through Weiss’ eyes. “Even though Pyrrha Nikos here  _ is _ considered the paragon of potential Huntresses, she’s not unreachable. You don’t have to be anywhere near her level to be a good teammate.”

    “Yeah, really?” the blond said with more than a hint of biting sarcasm. “She’s on a cereal box! Do you know how much raw talent is required to get on a cereal box‽”

    “No, not really,” Shirou said, slightly weirded out by his choice of baseline, “but it doesn’t really matter. Back me up, Ruby.”

    Ruby jumped slightly as everyone turned to look at her. “Huh? Um… Yeah! I-I think you’re right, Shirou. Everyone has things they’re good at and things they’re not so being a good teammate is just about being good at what your team isn’t. At least, that’s what my Uncle Qrow always said.”

    The blond looked thoughtful and Weiss looked confused as Pyrrha nodded. “For what it’s worth,” Pyrrha began speaking to the blond, “I think you’ll make a great teammate. The fact that you’re worried about it is proof enough.”

    The blond looked positively bashful as he shuffled his feet, “Aw, jeez. Stop it, you guys.”

    “Yes, please, stop it,” Weiss said suddenly. “This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!”

    Shirou raised an eyebrow at that but was interrupted by the blond. “Sounds like Pyrrha’s on board for Team Jaune. How about you two?” he asked Shirou and Ruby.

    “I wouldn’t be against it,” Shirou said.

    “I-I guess that would be kinda nice,” Ruby said, awkwardly shuffling her feet.

    “I’ll put red over here down for a ‘Yes.’ Well, snow angel? Spots are filling up quick! Now, I’m not supposed to do this but may—  Gak!” The blond had been slowly advancing on an increasingly annoyed and uneasy looking Weiss when he was suddenly jerked backward by his hood.

    Shirou locked his gaze with the blond’s as he spoke. “Listen, buddy, I don’t know what playbook you read before coming here but pressuring a woman into  _ anything _ isn’t something decent people do.” His expression and tone were both perfectly neutral but they carried such a palpable sense of nameless danger, bordering on killing intent, that the blond couldn’t help but be cowed by them. Despite not being the target of it, Ruby and Weiss both took a half step back at the sudden shift in mood while Pyrrha, being the only one who knew of the mental discipline required to produce such an aura without using body language, narrowed her eyes slightly and began to study him.

    The silence hung thick in the air for a moment before being violently shattered by the P.A. system. “Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately,” a female voice, Glynda’s, said. 

    With the mood broken, Shirou released the blond. “Well, it’s been pleasant but we really should be going. Being late to our initiation test would set a bad precedent.”

    Everyone shook themselves from their stupor, the blond taking more than a few steps away from Shirou, before making their way towards the exit. As they were walking, Pyrrha put her hand on Shirou’s shoulder and slowed him down. When she felt that they were safely out of earshot, she spoke. “Was that really necessary?” she asked without preamble.

    Shirou contemplated playing dumb but the almost scowl on Pyrrha’s face made him reconsider. From what he knew, Pyrrha was a generally happy, easy-going young woman who never really had anything bad to say about anyone. Between that and her reputation, on her bad side was the last place he wanted to be.

    “I think it was. I have… experience dealing with people who act that way. One person, in particular, I used to call my friend since I didn’t see anything wrong with it. Then I learned some…  _ unpleasant _ … things about him. That blond guy—”

    “Jaune,” Pyrrha provided.

    “Jaune doesn’t seem like a bad guy— it was pretty obvious that all of his bravado was put on and would collapse at a moment’s notice— but the look on Weiss’ face brought back some bad memories. I was too slow and too stupid last time so I didn’t want to take a chance this time.”

    Pyrrha hummed for a moment, deep in thought. “I don’t know what you went through but you obviously possess greater training than most here. Even I can’t change the atmosphere like that so casually. Wanting to stop people from doing bad things is fine but bullying people to do so isn’t.”

    Shirou opened his mouth but then quickly closed it. There was another long silence before he spoke, “You’re right. I went too far. I’ll apologize to him the next chance I get.”

    Pyrrha smiled at Shirou and nodded, “Good! You already know my name but I’m Pyrrha Nikos.”

    Shirou shook her hand, “Emiya Shirou. Call me Shirou.”

    “Well, Shirou, we should hurry up. ‘Being late to our initiation test would set a bad precedent,’ after all,” Pyrrha said with a cheeky grin.

    Shirou could only smile himself as he sped up to catch up with the others. Only twenty-four hours since he arrived and Beacon had already proven to be  _ very _ interesting.

OoOoOoO

    Beacon Cliff, as it was so vaguely named, referred to a very specific section of cliff about twenty or so meters long that was located on the eastern edge of Beacon’s main grounds, behind the main complex. What made this particular section of cliff so important was that it marked the western edge of the Emerald Forest and, if one decided to descend the cliff, one would find oneself in the heart of the forest. From there, assuming climbing back up wasn’t an option, one would have to walk a few kilometers in order to get out and that was assuming one survived the hoard of Grimm that infested the place.

    Naturally, Ozpin decided that the best way to decide partners and form teams was to launch the students into the forest via catapult, have them partner up with literally the first person they see, and then have these pairs hunt down some chess pieces that Shirou was convinced he had purchased from whatever this world’s equivalent of a hundred yen store was.

    To make matters worse, said headmaster was currently standing off to the side, observing the students mingle while smiling vaguely, a mug of what Shirou knew to be hot cocoa in his hand. Thinking of that last fact made Shirou be suddenly overcome by a very strong desire to punch that smug bastard in the face but doing so would raise far too many questions and would undoubtedly only make Ozpin that more smug. It seemed that living for an untold amount of time while being a Good Guy TM resulted in messing with people being one of the few pleasures to remain in your life and Ozpin was a master at it.  Shirou briefly wondered what would happen if he and Zelretch were to cross paths but a shudder of dread made him immediately discard that train of thought.

    As fun as it was to contemplate the trollish nature of his boss, Shirou had more pressing matters to deal with as he approached the launch site. He’d probably only have a few moments before the test began and he wanted to clear the air with a certain blond while he had the chance.

    “Excuse me,” Shirou said as he approached Jaune. The young man nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around and took a few steps back, looking every bit like a cornered rabbit. “Jaune, is it? I need to apologize for what I did back there. It was completely inexcusable and I humbly ask for your forgiveness,” Shirou bowed deeply as he said this.

    Jaune looked surprised and confused for a moment but quickly found himself. “Uh, no, it’s okay. It’s cool.” Shirou straightened as Jaune continued, “You were right, I was being a bit too forceful. It’s just that I’ve never really been all that popular with anyone, especially the ladies, and my dad said that all women look for is confidence so… yeah. I guess I overdid it.”

    Shirou smiled as Jaune stumbled through his own apology. While it should be directed at someone else, it was nice to see that he had an earnest spirit and was just trying to make friends. Sure, the advice his father gave him had been bogus but that wasn’t Jaune’s fault. Listening to him talk, Shirou noticed that Jaune seemed to be in a similar position as Ruby except he actually had the drive to change himself. He was idly wondering if getting them together would help when Jaune’s speech came to an end.

    “Thank you for forgiving me,” Shirou said first, wanting to get formalities out of the way, “But I believe you should have said all that to Weiss. If you had wronged anyone, it would be her.”

    “Yeah, you’re right. Although, if I’m being honest, she kinda scares me a little. I called her snow angel but she’s really more of a blizzard.”

    Shirou chuckled softly at this, “I suppose so but why approach her first, then?”

    “That’s exactly why. If I could get someone cold and harsh like her to like me then I can get anyone to like me.” Shirou blinked a few times as Jaune inadvertently paraphrased exactly what he had told Ruby earlier. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that.

    “That makes sense. I’m Emiya Shirou, by the way. You can call me Shirou.”

    “Well, you kinda already know my name but I’m Jaune Arc. It’s nice to meet you.”

    “Likewise. You know—”

    “Alright everyone, onto the launch platforms, please,” Glynda said. Shirou and Jaune quickly bid each other farewell and good luck before making their way to the platforms. Jaune chose one at random while Shirou specifically took the one closest to Ozpin and Glynda.

    “For years,” Ozpin began, “You have trained to become warriors and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest.”

    Glynda continued, “Now, I’m sure all of you are aware of the four-person teams Hunters-in-training are assigned to. Some of you may even be aware that Hunters have a specific partner on their team who they work most closely with. You will be assigned to your partners and teams today.”

    “These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon and will undoubtedly be your closest allies going forward afterward. Your partner, meanwhile, will work with you whenever pairs are required and will often share in your success and failures. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years.”

    At Ozpin’s revelation, confused murmurs broke out among the students. For his part, Shirou had to suppress the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose at such a haphazard way of deciding something so important. He didn’t manage to completely reign in his reaction, though, and a small sigh of annoyance escaped his lips. Despite its quiet volume, Ozpin clearly heard it judging from the way his vague smile had morphed into an almost imperceptible smirk. The bastard.

    “After you’re partnered up,” Ozpin continued, “make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you  _ will _ die.” 

_     ‘Always one for the dramatic,’ _ Shirou thought. Jaune’s nervous laughter made Shirou curious but he pushed that thought away.

    “You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?”

    Jaune raised his hand, “Yeah, um, sir?”

    And was promptly ignored, “Good! Now, take your positions.”

    As Jaune started to ask some rather peculiar questions, the other students started being launched into the air. While the idea seemed absolutely absurd, it actually had a lot of merit. It was very common for Hunters to be airlifted to their mission zone and they had to make a long fall more often than not. Being thrown through the air by a Grimm also wasn’t terribly uncommon so the ability to safely redirect and dispel your momentum so you can land without too much strain on your Aura was a very valuable skill. This logic was also apparent to nearly every other student here as all but one of them were prepared when the time came. The fact that Jaune had no idea what was going on raised a lot of red flags in Shirou’s head but there was nothing to be done as the blond was quickly catapulted into the air, screaming all the way.

    Now the only student left on the cliff, Shirou watched as Glynda tossed a wireless earpiece towards him. Without a word, he caught it and put it on. Ozpin wanted Shirou to remain a relatively free agent during his tenure at Beacon just in case and as such, they would be helping him avoid any unpartnered students. Judging by the slight scowl on her face, Glynda wasn’t all that pleased with what she viewed as cheating but she said nothing as Ozpin gave the thumbs up before activating Shirou’s launch pad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Starting with this chapter, I'm going to introduce something else I'll be doing every so often. After certain chapters, I'll be including an omake or extra. This will be a brief scene that depicts an event that's canon to the story (unless otherwise stated) but didn't fit in anywhere.
> 
> **Omake 1**
> 
> The Next Mission
> 
> During V1C1
> 
> Shirou and Ozpin sat in the former’s apartment in silence, sipping tea as the wall clock ticked on. Shirou had only been back in Vale for an hour before Ozpin had shown up as planned.
> 
> “I want you to join my academy,” Ozpin finally said after finishing his tea.
> 
> “Any reason why?” Shirou asked as he refilled Ozpin’s cup.
> 
> “A number of them, actually. You have been in Remnant for a few months now and while you have been studiously studying our world ever since you awoke, we feel that you’ll be better served by studying in a more scholastic setting.”
> 
> “You sound like Glynda,” Shirou observed cooly before taking a sip of his tea.
> 
> “Yes, she was rather insistent upon that matter. Moving on, if you manage to graduate from Beacon, your degree and official Huntsman license will no doubt make your life easier in the future. Your time there might also let you form connections.”
> 
> “You mentioned something about having my next mission lined up. What is it?”
> 
> Ozpin smiled as he sat down his teacup and pulled out his Scroll. “I want you to enroll in Beacon in order to watch over someone of importance,” he said as he sent Shirou some files. “You remember the story of the Silver Eyed Warriors, do you not?”
> 
> Shirou opened the files on his Scroll and began reading through them. “Yes. An ancient race of people who possessed the power to kill Grimm just by looking at them. I take it this Ruby Rose is one of them?”
> 
> “The last one of them, as far as we know. I want you to watch over her and help her in any way you can.”
> 
> “She’s only 15. What’s she doing in Beacon?”
> 
> “Her physical capabilities far exceed her contemporaries and are on par with the others taking the entrance exam this year. Her scholastic abilities are also exemplary.”
> 
> “I don’t think dragging her away from all of her friends will do her any favors.”
> 
> “Her older half-sister, Yang Xiao Long, will also be attending this year and there are a few other hopefuls that I’m certain she’ll get along with.”
> 
> “Does this have anything to do with that robbery she thwarted a few days ago?”
> 
> “Partially. I had been heavily considering extending an invitation for some time now and that incident simply solidified matters and presented a golden opportunity to ask.”
> 
> Shirou hummed as he closed the files and locked his Scroll. “You think Salem will make a move against her while she’s at Beacon?”
> 
> “I don’t think Salem knows of her existence and I would like to keep it that way as long as possible. However, given her personality and knack for finding trouble, I doubt she’ll remain an unknown for much longer.
> 
> “That’s where you come in. She will become a target for Salem eventually and you can do your best to prepare her for that. The teachers at Beacon will give her the best education they can but they can’t play favorites without raising too many questions and garnering too much scrutiny. You, however, can. You are in a very unique position and have an equally unique skill set. It is my belief that you can prepare her for her future.”
> 
> Shirou sighed deeply as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I don’t like the idea of going back to school but I can’t deny what you’re saying. Very well. I’ll do it.”
> 
> “Excellent. The initiation ceremony is one week from now. The airship for new students will leave the port at 10:30. Your Huntsman attire will be appropriate and make sure to bring your equipment. Everything else will be provided for you.
> 
> “One last thing,” Ozpin said as he stood and made his way over to the door before smiling mischievously at Shirou over his shoulder. “Welcome to Beacon.”


	3. V1C3: The Pieces Come Together

    Ruby hit the ground in a deep crouch before immediately taking off at a light jog. Her first thought had been that she needed to find Yang and _fast_ but what she and Shirou had said made her slow down. Yang was absolutely certain that she would make plenty of friends in no time and Shirou had reaffirmed that opinion. Shirou had even said that she was really nice and could easily make friends if she just talked to people. While she still really wanted to be on a team with Yang, maybe it wouldn’t be _so_ bad if Yang wasn’t her partner. She certainly would have no complaints with Shirou being her partner and she might even be fine with Weiss. There were also those two Shirou had been talking with that morning, Nora and Ren. If Shirou could get along with them so well, maybe she could too?

    So lost in her thoughts was Ruby that she didn’t notice the other person she was running towards until it was too late. With a cry of surprise and a mighty crash, Ruby found herself lying on top of the absolute last person she wanted to literally run in to.

    “Get off me, you dolt!” Weiss scream as she pushed at Ruby. In a flash, the black-haired girl was on her feet and trying to help Weiss up.

    “I’m _sooooo_ sorry, Weiss! I was thinking and wasn’t watching where I was going and then I saw you but it was too late and—”

    “It’s… alright,” Weiss said testily as she stood up and dusted herself off. “I was equally distracted and didn’t hear you in time.” Ruby let out a sigh of relief and let her shoulders slump only to jump back when she suddenly found Weiss’ finger in her face. “Still! This is the second time you’ve run into me or my belongings! Watch! Where! You’re! Going!” With each of those last words, Weiss thrust her finger towards Ruby, forcing her further and further back until she was flush against a tree.

    “I-I-I-I I’m sorry! I-I-I I really will be careful from here on out! Promise!”

    Weiss sighed as she let her hands drop to her hips, “Worse yet, because of that stupid rule, this means you’ll be my partner for the next four years.” Ruby started to relax again and pulled herself off from the tree, a hopeful expression creeping across her face at Weiss’ words, only to end up right back where she started. “Listen up! I won’t accept anything less than the best from my partner so you better shape up or I’ll shape you up! You got that‽”

    “Y-yes ma’am!”

    “Good!” Weiss spun on her heels and started walking off. “Come along, then. I don’t want to stay in this forest longer than necessary.”

    “Coming!”

OoOoOoO

    “So, what’s your Semblance?” Ruby asked after they had been walking in silence for a few minutes.

    “I suppose you should know. My Semblance is the ability to create glyphs. They can either be used on their own or alongside the Dust stored in my rapier for a variety of effects. I’ll give you a more detailed explanation later.”

    “That’s really cool! It sounds like you can do a lot of things!”

    Weiss smiled slightly at that, “I suppose I can. What about you?” Ruby smiled and was suddenly gone, replaced by a flurry of rose petals. A startled Weiss blinked a few times before following the trail to its source: one Ruby Rose now standing a good twenty feet away.

    “I’m really, really fast!” Ruby said with an excited wave. Weiss shook her head and made her way over to the younger girl.

    “I see that. Simple but effective. A few of my glyphs would work especially well with that. Tell me, do you always leave rose petals behind when you run?”

    “Yep!”

    “Why?”

    “I dunno! But, hey, my name’s Ruby _Rose_ so it fits!”

    “Fair enough. It’s a bit of a shame you can’t use it for stealth, though.”

    “I’m no good at that sneaky stuff anyway. I’d much rather fight things head-on.”

    “Yeah, I figured as much. Regardless, we’ve wasted enough time. We need to get going. I refuse to start the term off by getting a bad grade.”

    “Hey, did it just get darker?”

    “The sun must have gone behind—” Weiss fell silent as a low growl came from somewhere to her left. In an instant, Weiss drew Myrtenaster while Ruby readied Crescent Rose in its scythe form. The two girls remained silent, their backs to each other, as they carefully scanned the area. Several red eyes could be seen peering at them from the darkness.

    “I’m not sure whether to be annoyed or grateful,” Weiss said as she tensed her body, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. “On one hand, this is going to slow us down. On the other, killing a few Grimm should only improve our grades.”

    “This also gives us a chance fight with each other. Might as well get used to that now,” Ruby replied as she drummed her fingers.

    “True. In that case, I suggest we—” One of the Grimm, a Beowolf, launched itself from the shadows directly towards Weiss. Without any hesitation, Weiss took two deep steps forward, her body low to the ground, and lashed out with Myrtenaster, the tip of the blade flashing like quicksilver as she drove it into the Grimm’s chest in three places. A graceful spin took her well out of the Beowolf’s range and out of the way of Ruby’s scythe as she slammed it down into the monster’s skull.

    Ruby’s attention shifted from the fading Grimm before her to the one charging from behind. She shifted her stance, ready to dodge at the right moment, when movement from Weiss made her change her plans. A white glyph bearing an elaborate snowflake appeared before her and acted as a barrier. The Grimm collided head-on with it and was quickly forced onto its hind legs. Acting quickly, Ruby hooked Crescent Rose around the glyph and behind the Beowolf’s neck. Aided by a shot from her weapon’s rifle, Ruby jerked Crescent Rose towards her as Weiss released the glyph. As the headless Grimm fell to the ground, Ruby twirled Crescent Rose back into a ready position and returned standing with her back to Weiss as the remaining ten Beowolf surged forward.

    Ruby met her half of the charge head-on. With a war cry, she knocked the swiping claw of the nearest Beowolf aside and countered with a quick slash to its torso before following up with a spinning slash up its back. She fired off another shot and let the recoil carry the butt of her weapon into the face of another Beowolf moments before it could grab her. A retreating slash to its temple was enough to finish it off but she was quickly forced to spin away from the previous one and then leap backward to avoid an overhead blow from yet another.

    For her part, Weiss adopted a reactionary position, Myrtenaster held low with a slight upwards tilt, and let her prey come to her. Two of the Grimm came at her at once from the front as she smoothly shifted her weight to her back leg. The instant she saw their bodies tense for a leap, she sprung forward between them and let Myrtenaster lash out with flawless accuracy. She punctured the inside leg of both Beowolfs at two key places before following up with a spinning slash while they were midair, up the side of one and down the other. When the Grimm hit the ground, they immediately collapsed towards each other and on to a pale blue glyph.  Weiss quickly stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground at the edge of the glyph and released the white Dust from its chamber, combining it with her Semblance to cause a series of ice spikes to spring from the glyph and tear the Grimm to shreds.

    Ruby swung Crescent Rose with her whole body and sliced clean through the arm of a Beowolf before using a recoil swing to ram the blade through its chest. Another one leaping at her from behind forced her to relinquish her hold on her weapon and roll backward between its legs. She lept out of her roll with her hands and nailed the Beowolf in the back with a dropkick. The Beowolf staggered forward into the shaft of Crescent Rose and toppled forward onto it. The force and positioning of the fall swung Crescent Rose back into Ruby’s awaiting hand where she then raised it into the air and used the recoil of a shot to crush the Grimm’s head with its butt.

    Ruby quickly took in the position of the remaining five Beowolves and she could practically feel the gears in her head turning as she considered what Weiss told her not moments before and what she had caught of glimpse of her doing. “Weiss! Can you shoot something that’ll punch through them?” she called out to her new partner.

    Weiss spared Ruby a quick glance, “Of course! Who do you think I am?”

    “Then get ready!” Rose petals surrounded Ruby as she dashed towards and then past her first target as she nailed it with the side of Crescent Rose’s blade. She then used the blade as a pendulum to swing around a tree and towards her second target. With lightning speed, Ruby struck the remaining five Grimm with stunning blows that made them stagger and Weiss watched on, mildly impressed, as she realized Ruby’s plan.

    “Now!” Ruby screamed as she struck the last Grimm and moved out of the way. The remaining five Beowolves were now in a fairly neat line before Weiss and she immediately carried out her role. A yellow glyph appeared in the air as she held Myrtenaster vertically in front of her and spun the barrel over to yellow Dust. With a deep thrust into the center of the glyph, several bolts of lightning shot out and tore through the Grimm before striking a tree deeper in, the heat from the electricity superheating the sap inside and making the tree explode.

    Ruby casually walked back to her partner, flourishing her weapon before holstering it. “Hey, I saw we make a pretty good team!”

    Weiss looked at the rapidly fading bodies of the Grimm around, “So we do. I must admit that your plan wasn’t a bad one.”

    Ruby giggled happily as she swayed side-to-side, her hands clasped behind her back, “Aw, it was nothing! You’re the one with that big awesome lightning bolt thingy!”

    Weiss smirked as she sheathed her weapon, “Indeed I am. Well, let’s be off. We’ve spent long enough here.”

OoOoOoO

    “The last pair has been formed, sir,” Glynda said as she walked up to Ozpin, Scroll in hand. Ozpin, for his part, barely acknowledged her approach as he focused on his own. “Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy… I can’t possibly imagine those two getting along.”

    “They’ve been close friends since childhood and I suspect that there’s something more between them,” Ozpin remarked as he took the last sip of his cocoa. He grimaced as he realized it had cooled in all the time he had been standing atop the cliff.

    “I’m not even going to ask. All that leaves is Emiya Shirou without a partner as planned.” Glynda paused for a moment and considered her words carefully before facing Ozpin and pressing on, “Sir, I don’t understand your treatment of that boy. Qrow finds him half-dead in a ditch in the middle of nowhere after witnessing what he described as a tear in the sky and you not only take him in but reveal to him some of our most closely guarded secrets. I will admit that he is a curiosity but why are you placing so much trust in him?”

    “Emiya Shirou is a very unique being. There has never been anyone quite like him in all the years I have lived and I highly doubt there ever will be even if I were to live until the end of time itself. He is a wildcard in this game I’ve been playing with Salem and one I believe that can change the course of fate.”

    “How could one boy possibly hold such power? Is it that— what did he call it— magecraft of his?”

    “That is part of it, yes, but it is much more than that. Shirou is someone who shouldn’t exist. Frankly put, he doesn’t belong here and, as far as Nelka is concerned, he never will. That alone would make him invaluable in attempting to manipulate fate.”

    “Nelka? That’s… an old name for the world, right? What does that have to do with this?”

    “Correction: It is the _true_ name for the World. Nelka is the entity that embodies the World’s will to live and to protect her children— that is, all life that lives upon her. Shirou is an anomaly to Nelka and as such, like all anomalies, must be corrected.”

    “So, what you’re saying is that… the _planet_ is trying to kill Mister Emiya?”

    “Not right now. While I can’t say for certain, I believe that she is currently confused by him. He is a being virtually identical to the Humans she is trying to protect yet so utterly alien that he might as well be some eldritch creature. I feel that she will closely monitor Shirou for now and decide what to do later. I highly doubt Shirou will ever get in her good graces but he should be able to avoid angering her easily enough.”

    Glynda shook her head with a sigh. She hated when Ozpin started to go on like this because she understood exactly none of it and it more often than not just made her head hurt. “What about Miss Rose?” she asked, moving on to a topic she could actually understand. “You still show a keen interest in her yet, from the sounds of it, Mister Emiya is the one you expect to change everything.”

    “That’s because I _don’t_ expect Shirou to change everything. What I expect is for him to simply even the playing field and maybe throw a spanner or two into Salem’s works. Ruby is still the one who I know will bring this bloody revolution to an end. She’s not only in possession of the Silver Eyes, she also has a simple soul and that, above all else, is what we need the most. Shirou was also once in possession of such a thing but his past has left him too scared and tainted to be of use there.

    “When I assigned Shirou to watch over Ruby, what I wanted to happen is for him to realize how similar they are— or were, at any rate— and try to prepare her for what he knows is coming. While we and the other professors will teach her as best as we can, the simple fact is that Shirou, due to his age and personality, can influence her in a way we cannot. He will sharpen the weapon known as Ruby Rose and temper her soul so that she can save us from the approaching darkness.”

    “You know, sir, with all due respect, when you put it that way, it sounds almost… callous.”

    “Perhaps but I do believe that they will be, and already are, all the better for it. Just look at the recent interactions between Ruby and Weiss for proof. By all rights, according to their personality profiles, they should have been at each other's throats and yet here they are now, walking calmly along, Weiss explaining her Semblance to Ruby in detail, after they slew a pack of Beowolves with impressive speed and efficiency.”

    “You believe Shirou to be the cause of that?”

    “To a degree. I believed that they would be perfect for each other from the start— that’s why I was hoping that they’d become partners or at least be on the same team— but their current relationship is much more amiable than I expected. I’m almost certain that his hand is in this somewhere.”

    “Maybe your initial estimate was just off.”

    “Perhaps. Either way, this turn of events is most fortuitous.”

    “If you say so,” Glynda said as she returned to her Scroll and switched the feed to one of Pyrrha and Jaune. “What about this Jaune fellow? I don’t care what his transcripts say, he’s simply not ready for this level of combat. I honestly feel sorry for Miss Nikos. That boy will only drag her down. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes. Speaking of which,” Glynda deactivated her Scroll and turned back towards Ozpin, “what did you use as relics this year?”

    Ozpin smiled.

OoOoOoO

    “So, that white one is your Semblance without any Dust?” Ruby asked as she and Weiss continued through the forest.

    “More or less. I _could_ use Dust with it but, since it isn’t primed to channel it, doing so would produce less than useful results.”

    “So you just use it as a wall, then.”

    “That’s one use for it. I can also use it as a midair platform for jumps and a few other things. For example, I can control the surface friction of it to do this.” Weiss took off in a sprint, white glyphs appearing on the ground in front of her, but something about her movement seemed odd to Ruby. It took catching up using her own Semblance for her to realize that Weiss was no longer running but was skating on her glyphs as if they were made of ice.

    “That is so cool!” Ruby said as she ran alongside her partner. Weiss basked under the praise, grateful that someone actually approved of this travel method for a change. Wanting to impress Ruby even more, Weiss decided to end things with proper flourish and executed a picture perfect double Axel before coming to a stop. “Hey, do you think I could try?”

    “I don’t see why not. I have an excellent range with these after all.”

    “Cool! You’re the best, Weiss! So, what do I gotta do?”

    “Nothing too complicated. Just copy my movements and you should be fine. Just be sure to get a running start so you’ll have good momentum.”

    “Got it! Whenever you’re ready, Weiss!” Ruby said as she got into a running stance. Weiss created a few glyphs about fifteen feet away from her and then watched as the younger girl disappeared into a flurry of rose petals.

    It was at that moment that Weiss realized she had made a terrible error. It was also at that moment that Weiss realized there was nothing she could do since, for all of her abilities, rewinding time wasn’t one of them. All she could do was watch helplessly as Ruby took one step on the glyph, slipped and fell on her butt, and was sent rocketing uncontrollably forward, flipping and tumbling as she collided with the ground, trees, rocks, and low hanging branches.

    “Ruby!” Weiss cried out as she took off after her partner, skating as quickly as she could in an effort to keep up with the other girl. She was immensely grateful that Ruby’s Semblance left a trail of rose petals in her wake and that it had evidently not turned off for she was afraid she would have lost her otherwise.

    When Weiss finally caught up with her, Ruby was laying upside down in what looked like a pile of leaves and long grasses, her eyes almost visibly swirling as she moaned in pain.

    “Are you okay?” Weiss asked as she skidded to a stop.

    “I am never doing that again,” Ruby replied as she looked up at Weiss and tried her best to make the world stop spinning.

    “Jeez, I can’t believe how much of a complete dolt you are! I know I said to get a running start but that didn’t mean to run into it with your Semblance!”

    Ruby shook her head and pouted up at Weiss, the expression looking very odd as she was still upside down, “Hey, so I like to go fast! Big deal! I didn’t know that’d happen!”

    Weiss groaned and massaged the bridge of her nose with her left hand when a nagging feeling forced her to stop and look around. There was something really off-putting about this little clearing they found themselves in. In fact, if she wasn’t crazy, it looked just like a—

    “Hey, did it just get darker?” Ruby asked as she rolled backward into a sitting position.

    “Oh great,” Weiss said as she went back to massaging the bridge of her nose. “You managed to stumble your way into a—” The sound of cawing and large wings flapping was heard overhead and was growing steadily louder. “Oh _great_.” The pair looked up as a very large Nevermore slowly but surely started making its way down to its nest which they just so happened to be standing in the middle of. “Do you want to fight that?” Weiss asked a rather pale and wide-eyed Ruby.

    Ruby slowly shook her head, “No, not really.”

    “How about we run, then?”

    “Yeah, running seems like a pretty good idea.”

OoOoOoO

    The abandoned temple, as the name would suggest, looked absolutely nothing like a temple by most people’s reckoning. It was a large stone rotunda nearly thirty meters in diameter with only a small section of ruined wall on one side and five pillars that held up what might have once been part of a roof. Just inside the perimeter of the stone floor were eighteen pedestals atop which were chess pieces of black and gold and currently examining those pieces were two long-haired young women who also happened to be of black and gold.

    “Chess pieces?” the black-haired girl asked as she looked around in confusion.

    “Some of them are missing. Guess we weren’t the first ones here,” the blonde, Yang Xiao Long, replied.

    “Well, I guess we should pick one.”

    Yang hummed thoughtfully as she examined a few of them before picking up the gold knight, “How about a cute little pony?”

    “Sure,” the black-haired girl said with an amused smirk before walking towards her partner.

    “That wasn’t too hard!”

    “Well, it’s not like this place is very difficult to—” A loud rustling from one end of the clearing made both girls ready their weapons only to drop their guards in confusion as red and white blurs burst out of the tree line.

    “Oh, hey! We made it! And we didn’t get eaten!” Ruby said as she skidded to a stop, Weiss not half a step behind her. Weiss was about to reply when Yang spoke up.

    “Ruby?” she asked as she started walking towards them.

    “Yang!” Ruby was off again as she quickly glomped her older sister. “It was awful! We were almost eaten by a giant Nevermore!”

    “Oh, quit exaggerating,” Weiss said as she slowly made her way towards them. “It wasn’t _that_ bad. That Nevermore didn’t get anywhere close to us.”

    “So you got partnered up with Weiss, huh?” Yang asked as she gave the other girl an appraising look.

    “Yeah and she’s super cool! We killed twelve Beowolves really fast! She was all ‘Hoooo waaaaaah’ and stabbity-stab with her rapier while I sliced ‘em up with my baby! Then I lined up the last few and Weiss zapped with lightning like ‘VOOOOM’ and then it hit a tree and ‘BOOM’, it exploded! I didn’t even know trees could explode!”

    Yang smiled fondly at her little sister’s usual wild storytelling even as Weiss rolled her eyes in exasperation. She had been a little worried, truth be told, about who Ruby would be partnered up with and Weiss certainly hadn’t been on the top of her preferred list but it was clear that there was nothing to worry about. Even if they ended up on different teams, her precious little sister would be just fine.

    “Come on, Ruby, let’s grab a relic and go. I think I’ve had enough of this forest for one day,” Weiss said.

    “Oh! Yeah! The test! Right! Hey, who’s that? Is that your partner, Yang?” Ruby moved to step around her sister only to stop when she caught sight of the black-haired girl standing a bit away. Ruby couldn’t help but notice her striking yellow eyes and cute black bow.

    “You bet! Ruby, this is Blake Belladonna! Blake, this is my little sister, Ruby Rose!”

    “It’s a pleasure,” Blake said as she approached the other three and extended her hand.

    “Likewise!” Ruby said before moving into the temple after shaking Blake’s hand. She quickly grabbed the first relic that caught her attention, the second golden knight, before returning to the others.

    A high pitched scream pierced the relative silence of the forest. The quartet turned in the direction it came from and watched as, not a moment later, Jaune Arc came flying out of the forest and into a nearby tree.

    “Did that guy just come flying out of the forest?” Blake asked no one in particular.

    “Jaune, are you—” Ruby started to make her way over to the dazed blond only to stop when a loud cry came from another part of the forest. The group watched as an Ursa came bursting out of the tree line, swiping and thrashing like mad, before a blast of pink energy hit it in the back and made it crash to the ground. The most surprising part was the orange-haired girl, who Ruby vaguely recognized, that came rolling off of it, having apparently been riding the beast.

    “Awwwww… It’s broken,” she said, the perfect picture of utter heartbreak. As she started examining it, a boy with long, black hair came running up to her, panting heavily.

    “Nora!” Ren, and Ruby was certain this had to be Ren, said as he leaned on the slowly vanishing corpse. “Please… don’t ever do that again.” Unfortunately for him, Nora had already run off and was now in the temple, a gold rook resting on her head.

    “I’m queen of the castle! I’m queen of the castle!” Nora sang while dancing about.

    “Nora!”

    At Ren’s shout, Nora immediately stopped and saluted her friend. “Coming, Ren!” she said cheerfully as she skipped off to join him, relic in hand.

    “Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?” Blake asked no one in particular as the others stared on, dumbfounded.

    “I think those two are—” Ruby was interrupted once more by a screech coming from the same direction Jaune had flown in from. Everyone turned to see none other than Pyrrha Nikos running for her life from the giant scorpion-like creature chasing after her.

    “Jaune!” Pyrrha called out as she saw her partner dangling from a tree.

    “Pyrrha!”

    “Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?” Blake asked again.

    Yang rubbed one of her temples as she growled in frustration, “I swear, if anything else crazy happens, I’m going to blow my stack.”

    Blake’s eyes narrowed as she faintly heard something in the distance. She looked up into the sky for a moment before asking one more question, “Is that a giant Nevermore headed this way?”

    “It followed us‽” Ruby and Weiss exclaimed in unison.

    Yang threw her arms up and screamed in frustration as she gave up.

    “You know, we should probably help her,” Blake pointed at as she gestured to Pyrrha who just barely managed to avoid one of the Death Stalker’s claws. Everyone ignored Jaune’s cry for help.

    “On it!” Ruby said as she readied Crescent Rose. Yang and Weiss called out for her to wait but both were too late as Ruby took off in a flurry of rose petals.

    Pyrrha leaped forward and barely dodged another claw swipe but was too slow and too off balance to dodge the second claw. As she was launched away, Ruby rushed forward with a war cry, Crescent Rose at the ready. The Death Stalker move to strike her with its claws so Ruby countered with a spinning slash into the side of the attacking claw. Much to Ruby’s shock, Crescent Rose failed to puncture the Grimm’s tough shell and the attack that should have been stopped was merely redirected.

    The claw clipped Ruby’s shoulder and sent her spinning towards the stinger that was coming down at her. Unable to dodge, Ruby altered her rotation enough to bring up Crescent Rose and intercept the stinger with its shaft. The forced of the impact launched Ruby backward and into the ground, making her bound off of it once before she managed to get her feet back under her and dig them and her right hand into the ground as she brought Crescent Rose’s gun form up and opened fire.

    “Ruby, get out of there!” Yang said as Ruby’s shots did little more than piss the Grimm off. Conceding that fighting this thing alone was a bad idea, Ruby holstered her weapon and turned to run back to the group only to be stopped by a line of feathers fired by the Nevermore, one of which pierced her cloak and pinned her in place.

    “Ruby!” Yang cried out as the Death Stalker lashed out with its stinger. Unable to free herself and unable to draw her weapon in time, Ruby could only watch helplessly as the stinger seemed to close in on her in slow motion. While her Aura would certainly soften the blow, that thing hit like a truck and she wasn’t entirely certain it could completely absorb the blow given the damage she had already taken.

    Yang set off at a dead sprint, praying for speed she never really had so she could reach her baby sister in time. She barely took three steps before a white blur, moving at speeds approaching Ruby’s level, shot by her. Weiss skated forward as fast as she could, Myrtenaster readied with white Dust to save her partner, but she could never be fast enough to beat the streak of silver that seemed to appear from nowhere to severe the beast’s stinger from its tail.

    Surprised, the group looked to where the silver streak had come from to see a red-headed young man in silver-white armor standing on a small hill, his black bow held at the ready as he reached for another arrow. He stopped, however, when Weiss regained her awareness and finished her action, stabbing her rapier into a pale blue glyph on the ground and encasing part of the Grimm in ice.

    “Jeez, I can’t believe you did that,” Weiss said as Ruby finally managed to free herself. “Wanting to save people is good and all but make sure you don’t die in the process.”

    Ruby seemed to shrink into herself in embarrassment as she turned to face her partner. “I know. But thanks for saving me, Weiss. I’m glad to know you’ve got my back.”

    Weiss huffed as she crossed her arms and looked away, a light blush dusting her cheeks, “Don’t thank me. Shirou’s the one who saved you.”

    “Is everyone okay?” Shirou called out as he neared the group, his bow back in its sword form and sheathed.

    “Just fine!” Nora called out as she thrust her fist into the air. Yang, meanwhile, gave Shirou a thumbs up and appreciative smile before running off to envelop her sister in a bear hug.

    “That was a great shot, Shirou. Your timing was impeccable,” Ren commented.

    “Honestly, it’s kind of annoying. I always seem to be late to things like this. It would have been much better if I could have been here earlier and stopped it before things got this desperate.”

    “Well, you know what they say: The hero always arrives late!” Nora said.

    Shirou’s smile was just a tad bitter as he replied, “Maybe but I really wouldn’t call myself a hero.”

    “Uh, guys?” Jaune said, having gotten down from the tree and back to the group with Pyrrha’s help. “That thing’s circling back around! What are we going to do?”

    “Look, there’s no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us,” Weiss said, gesturing to the temple.

    “She’s right,” Ruby said, nodding to Weiss. “Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There’s no point in fighting these things.”

    “Run and live; that’s an idea I can get behind!” Jaune said.

    Jaune and Shirou both made their way to the ruins. Jaune grabbed the second gold rook while Shirou, after checking the other relics, grabbed the gold bishop.

    “Time we left!” Ren said as he noticed the ice pinning the Death Stalker starting to crack.

    “Right. Let’s go!” Ruby said as she beckoned everyone onwards.

    As Shirou watched Ruby pull ahead of the group and leap on to a boulder, motioning them ever onward, he couldn’t help but agree with Ozpin’s assertions. She was hyperactive, a bit unfocused, and perhaps undisciplined but Ruby Rose had an undeniable charisma that drew people in and would undoubtedly push them onward. She tackled life with an unshakable belief in herself and her cause and with a boundless enthusiasm that was easy to get caught up in. While the way she spurred everyone on made his heart pang with grief, he reaffirmed the promise he made to himself the previous night.

    If anyone could save Remnant from the threat of Salem, it was Ruby Rose and Shirou would do everything in his power to get her ready for it.

OoOoOoO

    The group of nine tore through the forest as fast as they could go without pulling ahead of the others. They were reaching the edge of the forest now and were coming upon a ruined road that led to a ruined tower suspended over a great chasm. If they could get on top of the tower, they could easily reach the top of the cliffs and make their way back to Beacon Cliff. The only wrinkle in their plan was the giant Nevermore that swooped by above them and perched itself on the tower they had been running towards.

    The second it passed overhead, the group scattered and took cover behind the ruined archways as the Nevermore cawed.

    “Well _that’s_ great!” Yang said in annoyance as she as she peered around her cover.

    Jaune, meanwhile, looked back in time to see the Death Stalker burst out of the treeline and charge towards them. “Ah, man, _run!”_ he screamed.

    Just as Jaune started screaming, Shirou stepped out from behind his cover and readied his bow. He knocked the arrow and waited for half a heartbeat for the Dust to trigger before letting it fly. The arrow tore through the air like a meteor before hitting home in the Nevermore’s chest, exploding on contact. Shrieking in pain, the Nevermore took to the skies even as Shirou continued to pelt it with normal arrows.

    As fast as Shirou had been with his attacks, the Death Stalker had been even faster with its charge. Just as he let the last arrow fly, it was on him and rearing back to strike him with its claws only to be stopped by Blake and Ren intercepting it with a cross-slash. Weiss was then by his side and grabbing ahold of his arm, a glyph already forming under them. The two jumped away as the Death Stalker turned its attention to the now fleeing Blake and Ren.

    “Go, go!” Pyrrha called out as she skidded to a stop and shifted Milo into its rifle form before firing away at the Death Stalker, Ren quickly reaching her side and lending his own shots. When the Death Stalker about to swipe at them, only then did they stop firing and turn to run.

    The group ran across the bridge at top speed, their destination almost within reach, when the Nevermore came back around and used its wings to destroy the center of the bridge. Shirou, who had been at the exact center of the bridge, watched helplessly as his world exploded around him. He watched Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Nora, and Jaune make it to the tower while he fell helplessly towards the endless abyss below.

    Time slowed down for Shirou as his life flashed before his eyes. There was not enough time to project a rope for an arrow. There wasn’t a weapon in the whole of Unlimited Blade Works that could be used to get back up. No matter how hard he thought or what he contemplated using, there simply was no way for him to get out of this. This was it. He was going to die.

    As he plummeted to his certain doom, Shirou was surprised to find that he didn’t want to die. After all of the hell he had gone through, after all the lives that had been sacrificed in his place, after all the pain and suffering and torment that he had endured; he still wanted to keep living. Whether it be due to his sense of self-preservation somehow still existing or due to the fact that he didn’t want all of the sacrifices that had been made for him go to waste, he wasn’t sure but that didn’t change the truth of it.

    “Shirou!” Ruby called out as she watched her friend plummet from the bridge. On the other side, Blake looked down and caught hold of his ochre eyes. She could see the fear and helplessness burning inside them and so she dove towards him before what was going on even registered. She quickly caught up to Shirou and grabbed his outstretched arm before tossing one end of Gambol Shroud, aided by recoil, towards one of the structures that ran alongside the bridge. Together, they swung around the bridge’s base before Blake tossed Shirou up on top of it, joining him not a moment later.

    “Emiya Shirou but please call me Shirou,” Shirou said the second they were both relatively safe.

    “Blake Belladonna.”

    “I’d just like you to know that I now consider you to be a very good friend.”

    “I think I can live with that.”

    “We need to take that thing out!” Ruby said after she made sure Shirou was okay.

    “Then let’s hit it with everything we’ve got!” Yang suggested. The five of them readied their weapons as the Nevermore came back around for another pass. As one, they assaulted it with a barrage of gunfire, arrows, and ice shards but nothing they used had any effect as it destroyed the platform they were standing on with its wing. The quintet quickly jumped from debris to debris before coming to land on a higher section of the bridge nearer the cliffs.

    “None of this is working!” Weiss said. Ruby watched as Blake used Gambol Shroud to whip to a higher area, Shirou in tow, and Yang fired futilely at it with Ember Celica.

    “I have a plan! Cover me!” Ruby yelled as she launched herself towards Blake and Shirou. Weiss readied Myrtenaster and charged in without hesitation.

(A/N: Play ["EVO" by Wild Child Bound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUgx20ryxmg))

      Back on the lower section of the bridge; Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren were battling the Death Stalker. “We gotta move!” Jaune said as they ran forward. Jaune and Pyrrha blocked the Grimm’s claws with their shields while Nora opened fire on its exposed head with her grenade launcher and Ren charged forward, firing his guns.

      Jaune and Pyrrha were quickly forced away by the creature’s brute strength as Nora stopped to reload. Ren flipped over its attempt to grab him with both of its claws and launched into a series of spinning slashes as he sailed over its back. Just as he was about to touch the ground on the other side, its tail came down and slammed him hard into the ground before batting him away and into a nearby wall.

      Ren groaned in pain as he pried himself from the wall and Jaune watched in amazement as the other boy was enveloped by a faint green aura. “Ren’s glowing! Why is Ren glowing‽” Jaune asked as he ducked under another claw swipe.

      “Soul Surge!” Pyrrha answered as she batted away the creature’s other claw with Milo. “It’s another attribute of one’s Aura that I forgot to mention! It’s a really powerful attack that can only be used under certain conditions!”

     “Can it kill it?”

     “Probably!”

     “Ren, what do you need?”

      “Get it in the air!” Ren replied as he entered into a low stance and began concentrating his Aura.

     “On it! Nora, get ready! Pyrrha, with me! Trip it!” Jaune and Pyrrha rushed forward crossing in front of each other in a serpentine pattern before slashing at the Death Stalker’s outside legs and knocked them out from under it. “Pop up!” Nora fired off a grenade at the underside of the scorpion-like Grimm, the explosion lifting it only its back legs. “Lift!” Jaune and Pyrrha quickly moved underneath it and used their shields to hold up the creature, lifting its front end slightly higher. “Launch!” Nora’s laughter was slightly maniacal as she twirled her hammer and slammed it into the underside of the Grimm, the resulting explosion launching it into the air. “Now, Ren!”

     Ren surged forward a speed greater than was usual for him, a trail of afterimages left in his wake. He lept high into the air, bounding off the back of the still rising Death Stalker to get above before flipping upside down, his arms extended above him and crossed at the wrists. **“Succession Art:”** Green wind coalesced around as he began to spin rapidly and endlessly fire StormFlower, **“Spiraling Lotus!”** Ren’s surging power broke and he was launched downwards at incredible speed, punching through the Death Stalker’s thick armor like it was made of wet tissue paper.

    Ren landed in a deep crouch in front of the others as the corpse of the Death Stalker fell into the ravine. They all turned to look up with concern at the battle raging on above.

    Shirou and Blake stood atop a pillar, weapons at the ready, and watched as the Nevermore circled around. Blake opened fire as Shirou loosed arrow after arrow to draw the creature towards them. With perfect timing, they took to the air, Blake throwing Shirou even higher as she landed on the giant bird’s back and slammed Gambol Shroud into its temples before using it as a reign to steer the beast around. It cried out in defiance only for a falling Shirou to lose an ice arrow into the base of its mouth, the resulting ice formation wedging its beak open.

    The second Shirou’s arrow was away, Blake removed Gambol Shroud and threw one end down to Yang, who had jumped into the air using Weiss’ glyphs. With the help of Blake and the combined recoil of their weapons, Yang looped above the Nevermore before being slammed down, fist first, into its skull. The force of the impact shattered the ice, sending razor-sharp shards down its gullet, and caused it to black out and start plummeting.

    The Grimm crashed into the bridge near where Ruby was waiting, the bridge shattering under the strain. Ruby’s hair, cloak, and skirt began to flutter in a mysterious updraft as rose petals materialized around her. She brought her attention to a razor focus on her target and held her breath as she counted her heartbeats, waiting in agonizing patience for everything to be perfectly aligned. When she finally surged forward, she moved with speed of a raging hurricane, Crescent Rose a blur as she bounced from falling stone to falling stone, crossing the Nevermore’s path every which way.

    With one last spinning slash, Ruby launched herself downwards, Crescent Rose tearing down the Nevermore’s stomach, and towards where Weiss and Shirou waited, lightning glyph and lightning arrow at the ready. The Nevermore regained consciousness and instinctually spread its wings in an attempt to stop its fall only for the prepared attacks to be released, their aim true as they sundered the Nevermore’s wings from its body.

    Ruby loaded a special cartridge of high-velocity rounds into Crescent Rose and prepared herself where she stood on one of Weiss’ glyphs. The instant the attacks were launched, a series of glyphs appeared in front of her forming a ramp aimed straight at the Nevermore’s mouth as it cried out in pain and anger. Ruby took off again and hit the nearly frictionless surface of the glyphs in front of her, skating along and up them as she launched herself towards the falling Nevermore. She readied Crescent Rose at her side, the blade folding further back until it looked more like a sickle as she kept it close to her body and angled it to start her spinning faster and faster. The girl and the monster finally met in midair and Ruby disappeared. One heartbeat passed and then another before a string of shots echoed out and countless cuts and holes appeared on the Nevermore’s body. It let out one last scream as Ruby burst through the other side and landing on the remains of the bridge in a crouch, letting Crescent Rose rest across her shoulders, the point of the blade on the ground, as the Nevermore’s corpse fell into the endless abyss below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter was really fun to write. Not only because of it being the first big battle of the series but also because of all of those sweet lore drops and the chance to explore some fairly major changes Shirou's meddling has caused. Now you should have a good idea as to what I mean in my note at the end of the first chapter about changing RWBY's lore a bit. You should expect more things like this going forward.
> 
> This chapter is also where I introduce the concept of Soul Surges. Originally, I was just going to have the characters do these super cool finishers at the end of big fights and I referred to them as Limit Breaks in my notes for the sake of simplicity. However, I eventually decided to make it an in-universe thing since the idea was too much fun to pass up. I never get the chance to properly explain the concept in the story, sadly, so I'll just explain the conditions Pyrrha mentioned here. A Soul Surge is a massive boost in power that allows for the usage of special techniques. They can only be used when a person is pushed to their utmost limits. Normally, this means having their Aura reduced to, say, 12% or less in a serious fight but it can also come about if they're pushed to the brink emotionally. Like a person's Semblance, a Soul Surge consumes their Aura; a great deal of it, in fact. In most cases, a Soul Surge is a death-or-glory attack since it'll leave you with no Aura.
> 
> To any Blake fans who were worried that I was writing her out or something, I hope this chapter reassures you that I most certainly am not. Her being ignored for the first two chapters was an unfortunate side-effect.


	4. V1C4: Life's Little Quirks

    The upper years of Beacon clapped politely as four first-years left the auditorium’s stage, having just been made the first new team of the year. After returning to the cliffs with their relic, Ozpin and Glynda had directed the students to the cafeteria to freshen up and have lunch. It was during this time that Shirou had been faced with the unfortunate, if predictable, side effect from losing control that morning: he was forced to eat the school’s food since he had all but cleaned out the kitchen he currently had access to. While it wasn’t all  _ that _ bad, he at least had some mild satisfaction from seeing Ren and Nora’s disappointed expressions when they took a bite of their food, it still stung a little. After everyone was ready, they were collected and lead to the backroom of the auditorium to await team assignments.

    “Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark,” as Ozpin called out their names, pictures of the four boys appeared on the screen behind him and they made their way onto the stage. “The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL (Cardinal) led by… Cardin Winchester!” The audience cheered politely as the four boys walked off stage. “Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR (Juniper) led by… Jaune Arc!”

    “Huh? L-led by?” Jaune asked, dumbfounded, as Pyrrha gave him a friendly bump to the shoulder and Nora hugged Ren.

    “Congratulations, young man,” Ozpin said as his hand covered the microphone. Once they were off stage, Ozpin continued. “Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY (Ruby) led by… Ruby Rose!”

    Ruby turned white from shock as Yang hugged her and Weiss looked incredulous. “I’m so proud of you!” Yang said.

    The upper years started to rise from their seats, already gossiping about the new teams, when Ozpin spoke up again, making them all freeze in confusion. “And finally, Emiya Shirou. As the only one to retrieve the white bishop piece and possessing no partner, you will be a free agent assigned to the other teams as seen fit.”

    Despite being on a world where this tradition didn’t even seem to exist, Shirou couldn’t stop himself from automatically bowing deeply towards Ozpin and the crowd even as the other students muttered among themselves. In the long history of Beacon and even the other major Hunter academies, this was the first known instance of a free agent, a student not assigned to any particular team. This issue was normally avoided by only allowing a number of applicants divisible by four pass so this meant Shirou was allowed in despite the imbalance it caused.

    As Shirou made his way off the stage and to the classroom where the new teams were instructed to gather, he couldn’t help but feel faintly apprehensive about this whole setup. His existence was already going to be under some scrutiny by certain parties simply for being a student at Beacon and being placed in such a unique situation was only going to increase that scrutiny. While he wasn’t truly the first free agent in the history of any of the schools, those cases only came about when two or three members of an existing team died one way or another. The survivors in those cases only remained as Hunters a couple of times so there  _ was _ a tested process for this but this was truly the first time a student  _ started _ as a free agent. Still, as much as he didn’t like the extra attention, there was simply was no other way he could do everything he needed to. The idea of having him join Ruby’s team as a fifth member had been discussed then subsequently dismissed since he was more useful to Ozpin as a free agent who could leave the school at any time. As it was, Shirou could only hope that the records Ozpin falsified for him would hold up under scrutiny and be thankful that his given name, Shirou, which meant something like “samurai son”, was almost identical in pronunciation and phonetic spelling to “shiro” which meant “white” and thus would fit perfectly.

    As soon as Shirou opened the door to the classroom and stepped inside, he was set upon by a certain Ruby Rose. “Hey, Shirou, what’s going to happen to you? There’s no one left for you to be on a team with and you don’t even have a partner!” she said. Shirou looked past her to Team JNPR and the rest of Team RWBY to see them watching intently, clearly curious as well.

    “I’m apparently going to be a free agent. What this means is that I’ll be assigned to other teams as necessary but will otherwise be working on my own,” Shirou answered as he made his way to the nearest available seat.

    “But Professor Ozpin made it sound like we’ll be working with our partner a lot. If you don’t have a partner, won’t that make it harder on you?”

    “That’s a very good question, Miss Rose,” Glynda Goodwitch said as she entered the room. At once, the students who were still standing took their seats and quieted down. “Mister Emiya’s case is a special one but not one that hasn’t happened before. Any assignment that you’re expected to work on with your partner will be adjusted for him to account for his lack of one. As for assignments that absolutely require a partner such as sparring exercises, the exact procedure will be determined by the professor but he will likely take turns with the other students if possible.”

    Shirou nodded and accepted this explanation even as he privately wondered how much of a pain this whole thing was going to be. He never really had problems with school before but this situation was already starting to give him a headache.

    With Shirou’s special circumstances explained, Glynda went on to explain what everyone could expect during their tenure at Beacon as well as assign rooms to the new teams (Shirou got a room to himself, much to Weiss’ envy) and handing out class schedules. After fielding a few questions, Glynda then gave everyone a quick tour of the grounds, showing the easiest path to remember to the most important landmarks before going over the directions to a few other places of interest.

    When all was said and done, it was around six o’clock in the evening and everyone was released to eat dinner and then spend their remaining time however they wished. Shirou officially, if privately, declared this the worst day of his life since he arrived on Remnant as he was forced to eat school food for the second time. There wasn’t really anything objectively wrong with it, it was just so painfully bland and uninspired compared to what he could make that he couldn’t help but almost hate it.

    After dinner, everyone decided to go ahead and turn in for the night. After all of the fighting and running around, only Nora, who had a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy; Pyrrha, who was used to incredibly intense training regimens and packed schedules; and Shirou, who was in much the same boat as Pyrrha; were varying levels of exhausted and sore. Ren, in particular, almost fell asleep a few times during dinner, his Soul Surge having taken a lot out of him.

    Despite this, that didn’t stop Ren from talking quietly with Nora as they made their way to their rooms (despite having not even known her for a full day, the sight of Nora  _ whispering _ was all kinds of wrong to Shirou) before pulling Shirou aside, making sure everyone else was out of earshot.

    “Hey, Shirou, random question but what time do you usually get up?” Ren asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

    Shirou blinked a few times before answering, “I usually get up around 5 AM. Why?”

    “Oh, no reason. Just curious. You seem to get up pretty early.”

    “I like to work on a few things before I fully begin my day. I’ve been waking up that early since I was little.”

    “And how long does this usually take?”

    “About an hour, give or take a few minutes.”

    “So you usually eat breakfast at six?” There it was. There was the reason for all this prying.

    “If you and Nora want to join me for breakfast, I don’t mind. I’m used to cooking for three or four people anyway.”

    “Oh, no. There’s no way we could impose like that.” Shirou placed a hand on his hip and gave Ren a very flat look. “Well, I suppose we could, if you don’t terribly mind.”

    “I don’t. Like I said, I’m used to it and I like cooking for others anyway. I’ll be making breakfast around six so feel free to join me if you want.”

    “Thanks, Shirou. Nora and I found the school’s food to be… disappointing after the breakfast you made.”

    Shirou smiled, “Yeah, that’s the curse of becoming a good cook. It can be hard to eat anything made by others.”

    “Well, thanks again, Shirou. I should go tell Nora. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ren said with a wave as he began to walk towards JNPR’s room.

    “No problem. Good night, Ren.”

OoOoOoO

    Shirou sat cross-legged in his new room, his mind turned inwards as he said the words that would convert his body into a conduit for prana.

    “Trace, on.”

    It was now about eleven o’clock and the moonlight streaming in from the window behind him was the sole source of light, bathing the room in an almost ethereal glow. Having left all of his possessions in the other world and having never taken much interest in such things to begin with, his room had nothing that was actually his. There was a bed that was provided by the school pushed to one corner by the window (the other three had been removed before he arrived). There was a bedside table on which sat a digital clock. There was a desk where his book bag with stored in another corner by the door with a single chair and a lamp. There was absolutely nothing in this room that was, strictly speaking, owned by Emiya Shirou and that’s the way he liked it.

    “Projection, start.”

    Even when thrown into another world, there were certain habits Shirou couldn’t, and wouldn’t, break and this was one of them. Training with his magecraft had been one of the foremost habits his father, Emiya Kiritsugu, had drilled into him before he died and Shirou would often have difficulty sleeping if he didn’t do it. There wasn’t much point in it anymore ever since he discovered the Unlimited Blade Works and learned that he would never be able to do much with his magecraft beyond that but he still kept at it. It simply didn’t feel right to just stop.

    “Judging the concept of creation.”

    Shirou’s practicing actually had a practical benefit here, though. While the rules of thaumaturgy seemed to be completely the same, as far as Shirou could tell, there were differences here and there due to outside factors. The practice of thaumaturgy certainly existed in Remnant, Ozpin had confirmed as much simply by recognizing Shirou’s power, but the practice of it was exceedingly rare, even when compared to his own world. It seemed that Aura and Semblances muddied the water a fair bit and anyone discovering that they could perform magecraft more often than not just thought that they had discovered their Semblance.

    “Hypothesizing the basic structure.”

    The result of this was a fairly odd one. Ozpin didn’t know of anything like the Mage’s Association existing in this world (and if Ozpin didn’t know about it, it almost certainly didn’t exist) and he only knew of a handful of families of magi. Shirou didn’t know if Ozpin himself could perform magecraft but he knew a fair bit about it. The result of all of this meant that magecraft hadn’t really diminished due to being shared like it had in his world. As such, any magecraft performed here was significantly stronger than it would have been in his world.

    “Duplicating the composition material.”

    However, that wasn’t to say that magecraft on Remnant was absolutely better than magecraft on Earth. Simply put, due to the extremely few number of people aware of its existence and the even fewer who researched it and passed their knowledge on in the form of a Magic Crest, the magi families of Remnant were far weaker than the ones of Earth. Their spells would be more powerful in sheer output, yes, but the knowledge of the families on Earth far exceeded theirs. This meant that if a successor of a family of magi from Earth with their limitations fought the successor of a family of magi from Remnant with their advantages, the one from Earth would almost always win. They would figure out their opponent’s mysteries quickly and just as quickly work around or outright counter them. Meanwhile, the one from Remnant wouldn’t even be able to begin to understand the mysteries from Earth.

    “Imitating the skill of its making.”

    This wasn’t the only weakness of magecraft from Remnant. The technology level on Remnant was, on the whole, more advanced than on Earth. Shirou couldn’t even begin to understand how most things on Remnant worked and barely understood how to operate what he needed. Between that and the miracle of Aura, the ability of magecraft was greatly diminished and True Magic, the Sorceries, were almost nonexistent. Even when just considering the only magic afforded to him, his Reality Marble, Unlimited Blade Works, a spell that was infinitely close to Sorcery, there was a student in this school whose Semblance could replicate a fair number of its effects but without a limitation on what could be copied. Shirou highly doubted that this student, whoever they were, could match a fully deployed Unlimited Blade Works but it was still a perfect example of his point.

    “Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.”

    To sum everything up, magecraft on Remnant was simultaneously stronger and weaker than it was on Earth and knowledge of its workings was scarce, even among the families of magi. As it was, Shirou wouldn’t be surprised to discover that he was now Remnant’s foremost expert on magecraft and possibly the Moonlit World in general. This strong possibility was a very sad one since Shirou’s knowledge paled in comparison to that of Tohsaka Rin’s, his second mentor in thaumaturgy. There was no doubt in Shirou’s mind that, if she were here, she would be torn between wanting to fully explore and understand the current state of thaumaturgy here and wanting to find and berate the magi families for doing a poor job.

    “Reproducing the accumulated years.”

    Of course, even this much wasn’t everything. Even ignoring what Shirou didn’t know, there was Nelka’s relationship with Soulkin, the collective term for Humanity and the Faunus, and how that affected everything. It seemed that Nelka still considered Soulkin under her protection, unlike Gaia who had been trying to kill them for a very long time. Not only that but Remnant’s version of Alaya, the aggregate subconscious will to survive of Soulkin, either had yet to form or was indistinguishable from Nelka. Either way, it resulted in a lot of very interesting implications but that was getting too far outside of Shirou’s comfort zone. He had been reasonably aware of those things back on Earth but not to such a degree that he felt comfortable making theories about how it worked here.

    “Excelling every manufacturing process.”

    What he  _ did  _ know was how all of this affected his brand of magecraft. There were so many pros and cons that it was hard to tell if he was stronger here or weaker. His projections cost more prana and their rate of degradation was a bit faster but there was far more mana in the air to draw from. The quality of his projections seemed to be about the same but his rate of projection had received a not insignificant boost. Blades that normally took a minute or so could now be projected in seconds and swords that could be projected in seconds were now nearly instantaneous. His Alteration was unchanged, as far as he could tell, but his Strengthening was now almost completely useless. He could still reinforce things as normal— in fact, it was arguably easier than ever— but something about Aura made it not play well with that branch of magecraft. There were no negative side effects of trying to use both at once, it was just that Aura already did what Strengthening did and then some. Reinforcement was all about filling in the weak spots of an object in order to make it better and Aura already filled in those weak spots. As such, the two simply couldn’t be used at the same time.

    “Projection, stop. Trace, off.”

    In Shirou’s hands, laying across his lap, was now a very simple katana. There was absolutely nothing special about it and its quality was extremely low, all things considered. It was a mass produced model made without any reason other than to make money. They were put on the market in Japan where they wouldn’t sell to the locals so that they could be exported and sold to Westerners who didn’t know better at absurd prices. It was almost completely worthless as a weapon but, as a practicing tool, it was surprisingly useful. It was as cheap and easy to produce with magecraft as it was with machinery so it could be done countless times and at a painfully slow pace without thought while Shirou examined not the sword being produced but the steps taken to produce it. If Shirou could find any flaws in those seven steps and correct them, his projections would become that much better. If he could find ways to streamline the process, then they’d become that much faster.

    Still, once the sword was projected, it was worthless and summarily dismissed the instant its existence was noted.

    With that stage of his practice finished, Shirou turned his mind’s eye towards the field of endless blades that lay in his core. The weapons commonly used in Remnant were almost always far beyond what he could reproduce but he still, surprisingly, gained two new additions today and, while it wasn’t strictly necessary, Shirou wanted to give these rare weapons a bit of focus.

    The first was a rapier of flawless make and high quality. Its mechanisms were almost too complicated for the Unlimited Blade Works but it was successfully reproduced all the same. While its classification was that of a Multi-Action Dust Rapier, as far as Shirou was concerned, it was just a slightly over-complicated rapier. While it would likely see no use by Shirou outside of extenuating circumstances, its owner put it to very good use and had treated the sword with the care and devotion it deserved as it faithfully served her over the years.

    The sword was named Myrtenaster and it was the weapon of Weiss Schnee.

    As usual, along with the sword came its complete history and that meant a large portion of Weiss’ history. While Shirou didn’t like to pry, in this instance, it was beyond his control. The years of Weiss’ life where she had Myrtenaster were now fully known to Shirou and he could call up any of the details he wanted no matter how much time passed. The best Shirou could do was not actively think of it. However, the glimpse he saw into Weiss’ life before trying to shut the memories out made him grimace. It certainly cast the white-haired girl in a completely different light and Shirou made a note to put a bit more effort into getting along with her in the future.

    The other was a longsword that, to most, was dull and ordinary; almost completely worthless as an actual weapon. To Shirou, however, it was the most amazing weapon he had seen ever since arriving on Remnant. It was very old and heavily worn by age and use and its appearance was certainly very plain but there was one simple fact that made it greater than most others: It was a Noble Phantasm. Its history was long and fascinating and its capabilities, if properly utilized, placed it as a high Rank B, low Rank A in terms of power. When Shirou had caught a glimpse of it, it took a considerable amount of willpower to not react in any way, especially considering who its current owner was.

    The sword was named Crocea Mors and it was the weapon of Jaune Arc. As a bonus, the shield was able to be reproduced as well.

    As far as Jaune’s life went, there actually wasn’t that much recorded directly by the sword. It had apparently been just a family heirloom hanging on a wall of their house before Jaune had taken it when he needed a weapon. However, what it  _ did _ reveal was highly worrisome. At first, Shirou couldn’t even begin to imagine why Ozpin would let someone who had no combat experience whatsoever into Beacon but then he considered the sword’s power and history. Banking on Jaune being able to rise up to his family’s legacy and awaken Crocea Mors was not a bet Shirou would have liked to take but the potential payoff was staggering. There wasn’t much he felt like he could do at this point so he decided to just play this one by ear and help whenever he could.

    With a gentle sigh, Shirou returned his mind to the outer world. It was now nearly one in the morning and he really needed to get some sleep. It had been a long and slightly bothersome day but Shirou found that he was looking forward to the next one. There was no doubt that his peaceful days at this school, however long they lasted, wouldn’t be peaceful at all and instead full of chaos and drama but that prospect filled him with a vague excitement. It had been a lifetime since he had been able to live something like a normal life, after all.

    This was truly far better than he could ever possibly deserve.

OoOoOoO

    Shirou hummed to himself as he worked on breakfast. He was in a fairly good mood since it had been a rare night where he hadn’t been awoken by nightmares. He actually had to rely on his alarm and thus had to cut his morning training (he was really grateful that he didn’t share his room since that made his morning routine a lot easier) short in order to get breakfast made on time. For that matter, this was also the first time since he came to Remnant where he was intentionally preparing a full meal for others and the familiarity of the act brought back countless bittersweet memories. As if that wasn’t enough, the kitchen on this floor of the dorms had been far better stocked than the one near the ballroom had been so he had been free to make a properly decent meal this time. He couldn’t wait to see Nora and Ren’s reaction when they tasted his food when he wasn’t being held back.

    Speaking of those two, Shirou caught a faint whiff of ozone in the air that signaled Nora’s approach and that meant Ren had to be there as well. Just as he started laying out the plates, he paused and sniffed the air again. There were two other scents with Nora’s that he only vaguely recognized. One conveyed a deep warmth with a not unpleasant metallic touch while the other smelled faintly of lemons. If Shirou had to guess, the other two were Jaune and Pyrrha but the question remained of which was which. Regardless, Shirou was glad that he had predicted this possibility and had made enough to feed four people while also leaving everything ready to whip up a fifth serving.

    When Team JNPR finally stepped into the room, Shirou was surprised to find all of them, even Pyrrha, half-asleep and still wearing their pajamas. Only Ren had a different expression on his face and it was an embarrassed smile.

    “When I tried to get Nora up, she kind of fell out of her bed and knocked over some stuff,” Ren explained before Shirou had time to so much as blink.

    Shirou chuckled and waved off his concern, “That’s fine. I kind of expected it anyway. Feel free to help yourself. There’s enough for four people there.”

    “Oh, no, we couldn’t! Jaune and I just happened to wake up so we decided to go ahead and get started on the day! We really couldn’t impose on you and your offer to Ren and Nora!” Pyrrha said quickly, waving her hands back and forth in front of her even as her mouth started visibly watering and her stomach audibly growled. She froze at the sound as her face started to match her hair.

    Shirou laughed more fully at this, “Please, I insist. Like I told Ren last night, it’s no imposition at all. Again, please feel free to help yourselves.” As Shirou turned his attention back to his cooking, Team JNPR had a quick, whispered conversation before sitting down at the table. When Shirou returned with his own plate, he found that no one had touched their food yet. He just smiled appreciatively at them before they all began eating.

    It took all of one bite before Jaune and Pyrrha fell under the spell of Shirou’s food. Pyrrha had to expend great effort to not just wolf it down while Jaune failed utterly and ate with a ferocity that reminded Shirou of a certain tiger. Even Nora and Ren, who had been prepared for this, weren’t prepared for this as their tongues were assaulted by a world of flavor the likes of which they could barely comprehend.

    Once everyone had finished eating and Team JNPR had finished lavishing Shirou with praise, Shirou collected all of the dishes and deposited them in the sink before turning his attention back to the stove.

    “You cooking something else, Shirou?” Jaune asked as he reclined in his chair and patted his stomach. Everyone wore utterly satisfied expressions and no one even seemed to notice when Nora loudly burped.

    “Yes, my lunch. I have a lot more options if I prepare it now.”

    “But wouldn’t that limit your options?” Ren asked. “After all, most dishes are best served hot and an insulator can only do so much. Unless you’re planning on using a microwave later?”

    Shirou chuckled at this ignorant way of thinking. “You’d be surprised what one can do with the right preparation,” he said somewhat cryptically. He idly wondered if he had been spending too much time talking to Ozpin.

    “Whatever you’re making, I’m sure it’ll be spectacular,” Pyrrha said as she checked her scroll. “It’s 7:30 now. We should hurry and finish getting ready before we’re late for our class at 9.”

    “Yeah, alright,” Jaune said as he got up and stretched, “but there’s something else we’ve gotta do first.” The rest of JNPR looked at their leader curiously as he rolled up his sleeves. “We’ve gotta do the dishes,” he said somewhat incredulously. “Shirou did the cooking so we clean up. That’s the way it always worked at my house.” The others stared at him for a second longer before quickly getting up and following his lead. Shirou had contemplated turning down their help since that isn’t how it worked at his house at all but he found he didn’t have it in him. 

    Half an hour later, Shirou met up with Team JNPR in front of their dorm room and the group began to make their way to their first class. It was still rather early but this gave them plenty of time to get there without worry. Shirou found it slightly curious that he hadn’t heard a peep out of Team RWBY’s dorm but he put that aside. After all, they surely wouldn’t forget to plan appropriately for their first class, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A number of things this time. For starters, some reviewers over on FF.net pointed out that Shirou could have saved himself last chapter using Rider's chain dagger. The reason why he didn't is because I, the author, forgot about it but, for the sake of avoiding a plothole, I'm going to say that this Shirou never saw it. Since there's no real place to bring this up in the story, not even as an omake, I'm going to go ahead and say that Emiya Shirou has seen Kanshou & Bakuya, Rule Breaker, Caliburn (for some definition of the word "seen") Gae Bulg, Monohoshizao, and Berserker's Axe-Sword along with a number of weapons in Gilgamesh's vault. It's a little contrived, to be sure, but that's basically all I can do.
> 
> Second, this was a pretty slow chapter but I had a lot of fun with it since I got to do some worldbuilding and explain how certain things work on Remnant. I know I've had a few questions in regards to these things before so I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did. For an added effect, try listening to "The End of Reminiscence" from Fate/stay night during the scene with Shirou in his room.
> 
> Third, those familiar with the original visual novel should find Shirou's flat look to be very familiar.
> 
> Lastly, have a new omake:
> 
>  
> 
> **Omake 2**  
> 
> 
> A Dark Shadow
> 
> During V1C4
> 
> Deep in Vale’s warehouse district, in the office of the most out-of-the-way warehouse he could find, sat Roman Torchwick. Being Vale’s self-proclaimed greatest crime boss, Roman made sure to always be dressed to the nines and to carrying himself with impeccable style and power. With his red-lined white suit jacket; black pants, shoes, and gloves; small, gray scarf; and red-banded, black bowler hat (his personal favorite), he looked like a man who lived high on the finer things of life. His bright orange hair, the bangs of which were almost always swept over one of his green eyes, used to be a point of contention in his younger days but now his distinctive hair and dress just served to inspire fear and respect.
> 
> As Roman kicked his feet up onto his desk and lit a fine cigar with a custom-made lighter, he reflected on just how perfectly everything had been going lately. Sure, that Cinder bitch had been really bossy and working with the White Fang wasn’t really a highlight of his career (he honestly didn’t give two shits about the Faunus but working with people who looked down on him grinded his gears) but his profit margin was through the roof and he stood to gain even more soon enough. He might even have enough to forego using abandoned warehouses as a base and instead purchase a business to use as a front or even start bribing politicians to make his life a bit easier.
> 
> Of course, not all was sunshine and roses. That girl that had thwarted one of his robberies a bit over a week back had been all kinds of annoying and the phone call he just had with his contact in the White Fang could have gone better but it’d all work out. He just had to play his cards right, keep an eye on things, and he’d come out on top no problem.
> 
> Right on time, a White Fang courier came into his office with a trolley carrying a large crate. With practiced ease, Roman reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a stack of Lien before tossing it onto his desk.
> 
> “Open it,” Roman commanded after the courier took the cash. The courier pulled out a crowbar and popped open the lid of the crate revealing a large cache of Dust crystals of all colors. Roman got up and casually walked around his desk before withdrawing a blue crystal and examining it. As the dim light from the overhead lamp reflected off of the crystal’s flawless surface, Roman couldn’t help the wicked smile that came to his lips. As he turned to face the map of Vale on the wall and his eyes fell to the large circle marking Beacon Academy, he had but one thing to say:
> 
> “We’re gonna need more men…”


	5. V1C5: To Those Who Lead

    Weiss Schnee was a person who was full of flaws. Despite her insistence to the contrary, she was acutely aware of the fact that she was little  _ but _ flaws. Even with that being said, she had a few good points, even if they weren’t really good enough, and she knew full well what she was and wasn’t capable of. That fact alone put her more than a little at odds with her new partner, Ruby Rose. While they had gotten along fairly well the other day, the younger girl was brash, overly excitable, uncontrolled, unrefined, uncouth, and more than a little childish. She was the embodiment of every trait that Weiss had all but beaten out of her at an early age and it was infuriating.

    It started off slowly, the resentment that was burning away at her heart. It had been just an ember, the tiniest of sparks, when Professor Ozpin had made Ruby the leader of the team over her and each action Ruby took that rubbed up against her nerves made is slowly grow. First, it had been the next morning with that obnoxious whistle and insisting on bunk beds. While the idea  _ was _ a practical one and Weiss  _ had _ always wanted bunk beds as a child, that didn’t change the fact that such an idea was childish and didn’t stop her from practically feeling her father’s disappointed gaze on her back. To make matters worse, Ruby’s complete lack of ability to schedule things meant that they had been a few minutes late to their very first class, a fact that made her cheeks burn with shame even as Professor Port reassured them that tardiness would be acceptable this one time. A failure of Ruby’s fault and yet another failure on hers.

    Then came the class itself. Professor Port, in between his admittedly inane ramblings, went over the basics of an ideal Hunter and Weiss felt her frustration grow as she failed to identify any of those traits in her “leader” who had taken to doodling in her notebook at some point. When the time came for a demonstration, Weiss immediately volunteered, fully intending to prove herself against whatever Professor Port challenged her with.

    Much to her chagrin, the Boarbatusk Professor Port had somehow captured proved to be more of a challenge than Weiss expected. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Ruby even had the gall to cheer her on and offer advice. While the advice was accurate, the assistance was infuriating and just further raised Weiss’ ire even as she remained silent.

    As the students filed out after class, Ruby, who had noticed her partner’s declining mood, hurried along to catch up to her.

    “Hey, Weiss!” she called out.

    “What?” Weiss said tersely as she spared her “leader” no more than a glance.

    “Are you okay?” Ruby asked after she caught up. “You seem to be really angry for some reason.”

    Weiss had to grind her teeth to keep from lashing out even as she adopted the stoic mask that was practically her family’s symbol. “I’m fine.”

    Ruby didn’t buy it. “Are you sure? If something’s wrong, you should talk about it. Maybe I can even help! If not, I’m sure Blake or Yang can.”

    Weiss quickened her pace a little as she struggled to keep her anger in check while keeping track of where she was going. “I said I’m fine. I don’t need help from anyone, you least of all.”

    A hurt expression flashed across Ruby’s face as her steps faltered. She quickly recomposed herself and caught back up to her partner. “What do mean by that? Why don’t you want my help?”

    “Ruby,” Weiss abruptly stopped and spun on her heels to face the younger girl, inhaling sharply through her nose as she once again reigned in her temper, “I’m. Fine. I don’t need anyone’s help. There are just some problems I need to get sorted out and quickly. Now, we need to hurry before we’re late for  _ another _ class.”

    Ruby frowned at the back of her partner as she practically stomped away. She seemed to just be making the other girl angrier with every word and she couldn’t even begin to figure out why. They had been such good friends in the forest yesterday so what had changed? It just didn’t make sense at all.

    The rest of the day didn’t improve Weiss’ mood. Throughout all of the lectures, Ruby kept on doodling away in that notebook of hers, only occasionally paying proper attention, and she seemed to be more intent on making merry during the couple of practical exercises rather than taking them seriously. 

    During lunch, her eating behavior proved to be just as ill-mannered as Weiss imagined and her diet was simply childish. Lunch wasn’t  _ all _ bad, though. Team JNPR seemed to be making a fuss about something Shirou had made called a tamale. He let everyone try one and Weiss had to admit that the taste was divine for such a simple food. He and Pyrrha were also impeccably well mannered which gave her a mild sense of comfort and made her wish that they were her teammates instead. Yang was just as bad as her sister while Blake was acceptable. Jaune wasn’t as bad as the sisters but wasn’t that great, either, while Ren was nearly as good as Shirou and Pyrrha. Nora, Weiss just completely refused to even look directly at.

    After their last class for the day, Weiss was at her wit’s end. Ruby’s antics had only increased in number after lunch and she even had the gall to try and drag her into some of them. In fact, it seemed as if the younger girl had been actively flaunting her poor behavior and it was everything Weiss could do to not lash out at her in the middle of class. While Ruby making a spectacle out of herself reflected poorly on Weiss due to being both a teammate and her partner, the last thing she would do was make an even bigger one. If she managed to maintain her perfect behavior then, when the hammer inevitably fell, she could probably minimize the damage to herself.

    Ruby, however, seemed intent to make that not possible. As they were leaving their last class, the younger girl pulled her aside.

    “Weiss, I really think you should tell me what’s wrong,” Ruby said without preamble.

    “I. Already. Told. You. I’m. Fine,” Weiss’ clenched fists were shaking, the skin around her knuckles even paler than she normally was, from the effort it took to keep her voice level.

    “No, you’re not. You’ve been in a bad mood ever since this morning and it’s just been getting worse. So, come on, tell me what’s wrong and let me help you. I’m your partner, right? That’s what I’m here for.”

    Weiss couldn’t take it. This incessant prodding was the final straw. “What’s wrong with me‽ What’s  _ wrong _ with me‽  _ You’re _ what’s wrong with me! You’re supposed to be a leader and all you’ve been is a nuisance!”

    Ruby’s eyes widened as she was practically rocked back on her heels, taken aback by her partner’s sudden vehemence. “What did I do?” she asked, her voice largely confused but with a hint of rising anger.

    “What  _ haven’t _ you done‽ You showed some promise in the forest but, ever since then, you’ve been nothing but lackadaisical and childish!”

    “Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all that talk about ‘making me shape up’? I thought you were fine with being on a team with me.”

    “On a team  _ with _ you, not on a team  _ led _ by you! I’ve studied and trained and sweat and bled my whole life to become a Huntress, to become a proper leader, only for  _ this _ to happen‽ I’m not only  _ not _ made the leader, the one who  _ is  _ is someone who can  _ barely even eat properly! _ Quite frankly, I deserve better.” Weiss turned sharply on her heels and started to march away. Ruby, utterly shellshocked, started to reach out to her retreating form, to try and somehow fix this, when the following words pierced her heart like an arrow:

    “Professor Ozpin made a mistake.”

    Ruby Rose was confused. No, far more than that, she felt like she was lost in a daze. It just didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. She and Weiss had gotten along so well yesterday and made such an amazing team. Weiss had rushed to her aid when she tried to fight the Death Stalker alone. She had gone along with her plan to take down the Nevermore without complaint. Sure, she was a little harsh sometimes but she was well-intentioned and Ruby had to admit that she was a little careless sometimes so it’s not like Weiss’ complaints back then had been without merit. This, however, this just didn’t make any sense no matter how much she thought about it. It was such a complete reversal of how she acted prior that, even after Weiss had been gone for a couple of minutes, Ruby hadn’t moved an inch. She was just thankful that she had the forethought to pull Weiss aside to a relatively private area so no one had seen the heiress blow up on her.

    “Hmm… Now that didn’t seem to go very well.” No one, that was, except for Professor Ozpin who was now standing behind her. Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin as she whirled around before placing a hand over her heart and trying to steady her breathing. Ozpin, for his part, simply smiled and took a sip of his cocoa as he adjusted his grip on his cane.

    “I-is she right?” Ruby asked, nearly on the verge of tears. “Did you make a mistake?”

    Ozpin chuckled slightly, “That remains to be seen.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “I mean that it’s only been one day. Ruby… I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet but, at this moment, I don’t consider your appointment to leader to be one of them.” Ozpin leaned forward so he could peer intently and inquisitively at Ruby over his wire-framed glasses. “Do you?”

    Ruby looked doubtful as she answered, “I-I don’t know. I mean, I was really surprised when you made the announcement. I’ve never led anyone before and I honestly don’t think I have what it takes to be one.”

    “And yet you’re still trying your best, aren’t you?”

    “Of course I am! I know I’m making a lot of mistakes and that the others would probably be better but I’m the one you made leader so I don’t really have a choice. The others are now depending on me to lead them but all I’ve done today is mess things up. I made us late for our first class and all of my attempts to cheer Weiss up just lead to- to- to- to  _ that _ !”

    “What you’ve said is exactly why I chose you to be the leader, Ruby. You can see the flaws in yourself, the strength in others, and strive to make everyone as happy as can be. The fact that your failure to do that is eating you this much speaks volumes to me and no doubt to every other teacher here, if they knew. To those who lead, the wellbeing of their team comes first and foremost. A good leader realizes that they’re nothing without the support of their team and works hard to live up to their efforts.

    “You may have made mistakes today and will undoubtedly make more mistakes in the future but you must understand that you’re only fifteen and, as you said, have never led anyone before outside of battle. If you managed to perform your duties flawlessly without any prior experience, it would be a miracle. However, the mark of a true leader is not in their ability to avoid making mistakes but in their ability to overcome the mistakes they’ve made. Anyone intelligent or wise enough can avoid mistakes, and those things will come to you in time, but it takes a truly strong character to admit to and overcome mistakes once they’ve been made.

    “You’ve been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. You can’t allow yourself to not be performing at your best, not even for a moment, for your team will look to you for strength. You must serve as a shining beacon for them even while they push you forward from behind. The pressure will be incredible. However, I fully believe that, if you keep going as you are and give yourself a little more credit, you’ll be a magnificent leader.” Ozpin turned away and gave one last bit of advice before walking away, “I advise you to take some time and think about how you will uphold your responsibility.”

    Ruby’s head swam as she leaned back against the wall for support. Professor Ozpin’s words were ringing in her ears long after he left and it took everything she had to sort through and examine them all. It would take a while for her mind to settle and longer still for her to fully absorb the meaning of what she had been told but the fire of determination that had flared to life in her made her steps unwavering.

    She needed to find Weiss and make things right no matter what.

OoOoOoO

    Weiss wandered aimlessly through the halls of Beacon’s main building, her mind racing with clouded thoughts. While somewhat satisfying, going off on Ruby like that had been a breach of proper decorum. She should have aired her grievances in a calm manner in a more isolated setting. There was no point in worrying too much about it, though. She couldn’t go back and undo her mistakes so all she could do now is live with them and hope that no one, or at least not too many people, had witnessed her.

    Her lapse of self-control aside, Weiss also felt a little bad about how she had worded the whole thing. Everything she had said was the absolute truth and she would never want to change the meaning but the delivery could have been handled much better. Ruby was, after all, two years her younger and thus, as her elder, it was her responsibility to set a proper example for her. That had absolutely  _ not _ been a good example of how a proper lady and Huntress should act.

    So lost in thought was Weiss that she almost didn’t notice Shirou before it was too late. In her wanderings, she had made her way to one of Beacon’s balconies and Shirou was leaned against the railing and staring out into the sunset, his expression unreadable.

    “Hey, Weiss,” Shirou said as he spared the heiress a glance.

    “Hello, Shirou,” Weiss replied before deciding to join him. “What are you doing here?”

    “I decided to take a little walk to clear my head before taking care of my homework. The sunset caught my attention so I decided to enjoy it. You?”

    “I’m… much the same. A good constitutional to get the blood flowing is excellent to help improve focus.”

    “Right.” Whether Shirou had bought the lie or not, Weiss couldn’t tell. They stayed in a semi-comfortable silence for a while, watching the sun slowly sink over the horizon, before Weiss decided to speak up again.

    “I have to say that you got really lucky. Not being on a team or having a partner must be nice.”

    “In some ways,” Shirou allowed, “but I wouldn’t say I’m lucky. If anything, it’s just the opposite. Officially speaking, I’m in this on my own. Without anyone to rely on, I have to handle everything by myself. My success or failure is entirely dependent upon myself.”

    “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

    “That’s because it is.”

    “Wouldn’t being on your own be preferable to being teamed up with someone beneath you?”

    “I wouldn’t say so. It could be under certain circumstances but not most of them. Besides, out of all of our classmates I’ve interacted with, I wouldn’t say anyone here is so mismatched that it’s worth considering.”

    “You’re saying that there’s no issue with the team assignments?”

    “I don’t think there is. Based on my limited observations, Teams RWBY and JNPR are basically perfectly balanced. It’s almost enough to make one believe in destiny.”

    “Perfectly balanced? You can’t seriously believe that. You mean to tell me that R— That Jaune and Pyrrha are perfectly balanced?”

    If Shirou noticed Weiss’ near slip, he didn’t show it. “Yeah. Sure, if you look at their combat abilities, Jaune can’t even begin to compare to Pyrrha. He can’t really measure up to her in most ways, really. However, there’s a lot more to teams than that. Even if one member of a team is better than the other in every measurable way, that weaker member could still be invaluable.”

    “I don’t see how that can be true but, even if it is, Jaune could easily get Pyrrha killed one day.” Weiss regretted the words the instant they left her mouth but there was no point in trying to take them back.

    Shirou winced. “Yeah, that could definitely happen,” he said, his gaze no longer at the sunset but at something far away, “but Pyrrha isn’t infallible. She’s not perfect. If he works hard enough, he can catch up to her. Of course, he doesn’t even have to do that much to mitigate that risk. Judging by the story of how they defeated that Death Stalker, Jaune has already proven his worth.”

    “Maybe but he has no business leading her or the others. He’s clearly the worst among them. Well, I suppose he’s a better leader than Nora would be.”

    “I’ll agree with you on that last part but not the others. Jaune has a charisma that the others sorely lack and he shows signs of possessing a strong tactical mind.”

    Weiss scoffed, “Next you’ll tell me that you think Ruby was the perfect choice as the leader of my team.”

    Shirou looked at Weiss out of the corner of his eye, “That’s because she is.”

    Weiss glared at Shirou, her voice suddenly icy, “What?”

    “She really is. Sure, she’s young and has a lot to learn— don’t we all— but she has the same traits as Jaune but in spades and has a lot more going for her.”

    “You’re crazy. I simply can’t believe you. You’re saying that Ruby is a better leader than I would be?”

    “Yes, and the fact that you asked is exactly the reason why.”

    “What?” Weiss should have been angry at that remark but she was more confused than anything else.

    “This is all just my opinion but a good leader is capable of working with whatever they’re given. They can adapt to situations as quickly as they come. Someone who’s a good leader also makes for a good subordinate since they don’t question what’s been given to them or complain about it, they just consider what they can do with it and keep looking forward. You’re not looking forward, Weiss.”

    “I am too looking forward! I’m concerned that my team won’t be their best with her as the leader!”

    “Are you really?”

    “I— O-of course I am!”

    Shirou hummed. “Well, if that’s what you’re worried about then what are you complaining for? You’re not the leader and that’s that. It can’t be changed baring circumstances no one wants. If you think Ruby isn’t capable of filling that role then help her until she is. To those who lead, having a partner who you can fully rely on, who will help cover your weaknesses and push you to become stronger, is the most important thing. She can learn a lot from you and you from her.”

    “I can learn a lot from Ruby?” Weiss’ voice had lost most of its earlier vehemence and the question was spoken in subdued contemplation; more to herself than to Shirou.

    “Sure you can. You can learn a lot from everyone. Everyone can learn a lot from everyone. Everyone is different from everyone else and from those differences we can learn many things. That’s what makes people special; what gives us our souls.”

    Weiss hummed and was silent for a long moment as both of them continued to watch the sun slowly sink behind the horizon. “I suppose,” Weiss said at length.

    “Well, I better get going. I need to finish my homework quickly so I can get dinner started.” Weiss simply hummed as Shirou walked off, lost in thought once more.

    A part of Weiss wanted to deny Shirou’s words; to shore up on her defenses and simply say that he knew not what was he was talking about. However, for the most part, she couldn’t deny the truth in much of what he said. Even before this, she would have said that a good leader must be able to work with whatever they’re given and always be looking forward. She agreed that Ruby had a strong tactical mind and high charisma (the entire ordeal with the Nevermore and the ease Weiss had in talking with her proved that). She agreed that a good leader would also make for a good subordinate or partner. Similarly, she agreed with the implication that she wasn’t being a very good partner right now. Yet another among her laundry list of failures.

    Not only that, Weiss could tell that Shirou’s words came not from mere thinking and supposition but from observation and first-hand experience. It was evident in the assuredness of which he spoke and the way he had been able to counter everything with ease. Even his insistence that Jaune could catch up with Pyrrha sounded like it came more from experience with chasing an unreachable ideal than from simple optimism. Even if Weiss hadn’t already, on some level, agreed with basically everything he said, she suspected that his conviction might have been able to make her rethink her position.

    Shaking her head, Weiss gave one last look at the setting sun before turning around. There was something she now needed to do that was paramount.

    She needed to find Ruby and make things right no matter what.

OoOoOoO

    Ruby sat down on the edge of the courtyard fountain, staring up at the night sky with a deep sigh. She’d been looking all over for Weiss for the past hour-and-a-half and hadn’t been able to find her. Yang and Blake hadn’t seen her since their last class early that day and Shirou had commented that he talked to her on one of the balconies but the other girl had been long gone by the time she got there.

    It was only fair, she supposed. Ruby’s mistakes had caused Weiss to become angry with her and now she didn’t want to talk to or even see her. It made sense and she really couldn’t blame her. She really hadn’t been doing a good job as a leader, after all, and Weiss truly did deserve better. More than that, she was the one who deserved to be the leader. Ruby had no doubt that the heiress would be far better than she could ever even hope to be. Someone who was full of mistakes and flaws like she was could never hope to measure up to someone who walked through life with such grace and ease that she made everything appear nearly effortless. Even if Ozpin said that it hadn’t been a mistake to make her the leader, there was still no denying that Weiss would have been the better choice.

    As Ruby stared up at the endless blanket of stars above, she completely missed the sound of footsteps approaching her. “There you are, Ruby,” a female voice said.

    With a start, Ruby whirled around to see the very girl she had been searching for standing not five feet from her. “Oh, W-Weiss! You’re here! Great! See, I was kinda looking for you and—” Ruby immediately fell silent when Weiss raised a hand.

    “Before you say anything, there are some things I need to say first.” Weiss took a deep breath to steady her nerves and swallow her pride before continuing on, “I— I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. For how I acted all day. It was… childish… of me to attack you like that because I didn’t get my way. So I’m sorry.”

    “You don’t have to apologize, Weiss,” Ruby said softly in wonderment. “You were right. I really haven’t been taking this as seriously as I should have been and I’ve just been making mistakes all day. You really would be a much better leader than me, Weiss, but I can’t change our roles. But I  _ will _ do everything I can to live up to your standards, Weiss. Yours and Blake’s and Yang’s, too. I know I’m not a good leader but I promise I’ll do my best to become one.”

    Weiss simply stared wide-eyed at Ruby for a long while, utterly astonished by what she had just heard. By any rational observation, it was clearly Weiss who was in the wrong and yet here Ruby was, apologizing for her perceived errors and promising to do better in the future. The…  _ simplicity _ and earnestness of it were enough to stun Weiss speechless.

    Weiss certainly wasn’t good enough to be Ruby’s partner.

    “No, I was wrong,” Weiss said once she managed to get her tongue working again. “You’ve handled this far better than I have. My grievances with you are… petty. Said not out of legitimate concern for the welfare of our team but because I detested the fact that what I thought was rightfully mine had been taken. I really wouldn’t have been a better leader, Ruby. We still would have been late to our first class and nothing else would have changed.”

    “What are these… grievances you have with me? Even if they’re petty, I still want to know.” Ruby chose not to comment on anything else, feeling that it would be best to simply agree to disagree. “You said something about how I eat before?”

    “Oh, that’s nothing,” Weiss tried to wave her off. “It’s just that I find your diet and eating habits to be… wanting. As for the others, well, honestly, there’s only just one and I guess it really isn’t petty. You really should pay attention in class more.”

    Ruby looked confused, “But I  _ am _ paying attention in class.”

    Weiss gave Ruby an incredulous look, “Then why is it that I always saw you doodling whenever I glanced over at you?”

    Ruby stared in confusion for a few moments more before a look of understanding washed over her face. “Oh!” she said as she pulled her notebook out from her satchel. “Here, see for yourself.” Ruby flipped open to a random page and showed it to Weiss.

    It was hard to make out in the low lighting but Weiss could see a number of surprisingly good sketches and, tucked away in the inside margins were— “Recall words?”

    Ruby nodded, “Yup! You see, when I was a kid, I had a lot of trouble in school. I could never really pay attention for too long and would keep zoning out and missing half the class. A few years ago, I learned about a few things and decided to combine them. So I doodle during lectures if I feel my attention drifting and use the lecture as background noise. Every now and then, I’ll write down a word or phrase that I can read later to help me remember the important stuff. Once I started doing that, I had no problem.”

    “I see,” Weiss said as she stared at the pages in amazement. “Then this is another fault on my end. I should have asked you about it instead of assuming the worst.”

    “Oh, no, it’s okay, really,” Ruby said as Weiss returned the notebook. “If you don’t know about it, it  _ does _ look really bad and it’s not like you could see the words from where you sit.”

    Weiss gently shook her head but let it slide. She had no idea why Ruby felt the need to take the blame for Weiss’ mistakes but that was something she would have to live with and something she would have to try and correct one way or another. They might be partners but there was simply no sense in Weiss’ countless flaws bringing Ruby down any more than they already would.

    “It’s getting late,” Weiss observed, “and I bet neither of us has eaten since lunch or started our homework. Come on. Let’s see if we can find something to eat and work on it together.”

    “Yeah, I’d really like that,” Ruby said with a smile.

    When they went to scavenge the kitchen on their floor, they were surprised to find a large bento filled with more than enough food for two in the refrigerator. On the box was a label that read:

For Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee

— Emiya Shirou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Not much to say about this one other than the fact that I had a _lot_ of fun with it and I think it's probably one of the best chapters of Volume 1. One of my goals setting out with this story was to expand on the somewhat flat characters of RWBY and _especially_ Ruby herself. For someone who's supposedly our protagonist, who's the very first person we ever saw from this show, who this entire show is named after, Ruby is honestly kinda dull and doesn't do too much. Hopefully, with this chapter, I've injected a bit more personality into her. I also hope everyone enjoys what I'm doing with her and looks forward to seeing me explore and expand her character in the future.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment telling me what you liked or didn't about it. Your thoughts and opinions are very important to me. Until the next chapter!


	6. V1C6: Ever Distant Ideal

    “... and while the mime  _ did _ survive, he was never able to walk again,” Professor Port said, finishing up yet another long and ultimately pointless tangent. “Now, can anyone tell me the point of my story?”

    Weiss’ hand dutifully shot up. She answered when she was acknowledged, “If we cannot carefully apply our Aura to strengthen random objects, we may either be unable to protect someone or else hurt those we wish to protect.”

    “Very good! You truly are a model Huntress, my dear! Now, I know everyone here is capable of strengthening their weapons and themselves with their Aura but your weapons are designed to take the strain and it is impossible to hurt oneself with one’s Aura. When it comes to everyday objects, however, the result can be quite catastrophic. However, once mastered, the skill is infinite in its applications and indispensable in its practicality. Observe.” In one quick motion, Professor Port grabbed one of the ripe tomatoes from a basket and loaded it into his blunderbuss before firing it at a target on the opposite side of the room. Despite the incredible forces involved, the tomato struck the target and bounced off, not even so much as bruised.

    “There. You see?” Professor Port asked as he held up the tomato for the class to inspect. Not much inspecting was done, however, for the sudden gunshot had left all but those who had gotten their Aura up in time gripping their ears in pain.

    Once everyone got their hearing back, Professor Port continued, “Now, I want you all to come up here as I call you, take a tomato, and throw it at the target as hard as you can. Accuracy doesn’t matter but the state of the tomato  _ does _ so feel free to take a few moments to concentrate before throwing it. Let’s see, I think we’ll start off with Emiya Shirou. Shirou, if you would?”

    Shirou got up and made his way to the professor. Reinforcing an object with Aura and doing it with magecraft were practically identical so he knew he could do this exercise in his sleep. As such, he hurled the tomato at the target the instant he took it from Professor Port and watched idly as it struck the bulls-eye and bounced off, completely unharmed.

    “Excellent work!” Professor Port said as he walked over to the tomato and picked it up. He squeezed it slightly and was surprised to find that it didn’t give. “And with a lasting effect! Very good work indeed! I didn’t peg you as much when you first walked in here but you have the makings of an excellent Huntsman, Shirou my boy! Go on, off to your seat!” Shirou had no idea if he should be flattered or insulted so he chose to be neither.

    Professor Port went on to call up every other student in a seemingly random order. Several of them failed one way or the other— either the tomato was destroyed utterly when it struck the target or it exploded in their hand; Jaune was among the former and Nora was among the latter— but most managed to have some success. Aside from Shirou, the only ones able to do it perfectly were Pyrrha, Ren, and Weiss and only Pyrrha had done it with the same speed and accuracy as Shirou.

    Once that first exercise was completed and everyone had a go, Professor Port had each student collect five tomatoes and tasked them to spend the rest of the class attempting to successfully strengthen one of them. When they thought they had it, they were to test it by striking it against their desk. Ren and Weiss were tasked with trying to reach this protected state as quickly as possible while Shirou and Pyrrha were allowed to do basically whatever they wished so long as it didn’t disturb the others.

    By the end of the class, Professor Port went around and checked on everyone’s progress. Ruby had quite deliberately exploded two of hers before a pointed look from Weiss made her take it seriously. She managed it on the third without any real difficulty. Blake had taken two genuine efforts in order to get the amount just right and then lost a third when working on speed. Yang had also destroyed two of hers on purpose then proceeded to explode two on accident. The fifth one managed to withstand the impact but it didn’t come out of it unscathed. As for Weiss, none of hers were destroyed but one was slightly bruised and she managed to reliably ready the strengthening in about five seconds as opposed to the ten or so it had taken her the first time.

    Over with Team JNPR, Nora had failed utterly, exploding all five of her tomatoes. It was uncertain if that was by accident or design but Ren seemed to be taking it seriously so that was enough for the others. Ren managed to get his time down to two seconds from his previous seven and didn’t even damage any of his. Pyrrha, not wanting to stand out too much more, decided to work on her control even though the exercise could confer no benefit for her. Jaune, meanwhile, utterly failed in even exploding one of his and had merely smashed them all against the desk.

    Shirou spent the entire time is a light meditative trance in order to suppress the revulsion he was feeling at all of this wasted food.

    “Excellent work, all of you!” Professor Port said after his examination was over and the bell rang. “I want you all to practice this on your own during the weekend. Come Monday, I’ll test you not just with tomatoes but with a wide variety of items! Your performance then will be compared with your performance today and your grade will be determined from that! Now, off you go!”

    “Man, I can’t believe how poorly that went,” Jaune moaned as he left the class with his team, his head and shoulders slumped in total defeat.

    “I dunno, I thought it was fun!” Nora said as she continued to lick the remains of tomato off of her hands.

    “It was certainly an enlightening exercise,” Ren commented as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and used it to wipe some tomato off of Nora’s face.

    “I’m certain you’ll get the hang of it, Jaune,” Pyrrha said as she placed an encouraging hand on her leader’s shoulder.

    “You can say that, sure, but I don’t even know where to being. I know you said something about it strengthening our equipment in the forest, Pyrrha, but I don’t even know how to do that much!”

    “You don’t strengthen your weapons with your Aura?” Ren asked, suddenly  _ very _ interested.

    “Nope.”

    “So, you’re saying that you fought that Death Stalker with normal weapons?” Pyrrha asked.

    “Yep.” The rest of Team JNPR gave their leader a  _ very _ confused and concerned look. “What?” he said defensively when he finally noticed. “Crocea Mors just cut it and blocked it like a sword and shield should. What’s so weird about that?”

    “Jaune,” Pyrrha said slowly, “normal weapons are mostly ineffective against the Grimm. They need to be empowered by our Aura to do anything. That’s why only Hunters and the military fight them.”

    “Wait, really?” The rest of Team JNPR nodded so Jaune just threw his hands up in their air. “So I’ve got a magic sword. Great. Listen, I’m going to go back to Professor Port and ask for some help. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” Jaune’s teammates waved him off as he turned back but his plan to speak with the professor changed when he spied a certain redhead walking out.

    “Hey, Shirou, can you spare a minute?”

    “Sure. What’s up, Jaune?”

    “Well, ya see, the thing is, you’re pretty good at that whole Aura control thing.” Shirou nodded his head when the other boy paused and waited for him to continue. “Well, ya see, the thing is, I’m kinda pretty completely awful at it.” Shirou nodded again. “Well, ya see, the thing is, I was kinda wondering if you had some free time this evening after classes.” Shirou nodded again. “Well, ya see—”

    Shirou held out his hand, feeling a headache coming on, “Can you please get to the point?”

    “Will you help me practice with it?” Jaune said quickly.

    “Sure, I don’t mind, but why aren’t you asking Pyrrha or Ren for help?”

    “Ren’s going to be really busy trying to help Nora and Pyrrha, well, I’d just feel bad if I asked her. She’s just super amazing and I don’t want to waste her time with this when she could be doing something better.”

    Shirou was curious as to why Pyrrha’s skills made her unchoosable when his didn’t but decided not to voice that curiosity. “I highly doubt that she’ll see it that way but, if you insist, I’ll help you. Can you meet me at my room at six?”

    “Yeah, sure, no problem! Thanks, Shirou!”

    “Don’t mention it. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

OoOoOoO

    Shirou and Jaune sat on the floor of Shirou’s room facing each other, their respective weapons setting across their laps. The process Jaune needed to learn was simplicity itself and while the way Shirou had been taught had actually been for learning magecraft, he figured that the method would work well enough here with some tweaks. It would probably be highly unorthodox but, so long as the results were good, he figured no one would care.

    “Alright, Jaune. We’re going to start with some meditation exercises to get your mind clear and focused. Are you comfortable? Good. Now, make sure you’re sitting up straight and let’s begin.

    “Start by taking slow, deep breaths; in through the nose, out through the mouth. You want to maintain a soft focus here; looking ahead but not at anything in particular. Feel the weight of your body pressing down on the floor, the feeling of your hands on her knees. Take in the sounds of the room and everything outside it. Acknowledge everything but focus on nothing. If a stray thought enters your head, don’t try to push it out. Just acknowledge it and let it pass.”

    Shirou let Jaune continue in this way for ten seconds. “When you’re ready, on your next out-breath, gently close your eyes and let yourself fall into a normal breathing pattern. You don’t need to breathe in any special way, just whatever way feels most comfortable to you. As you breathe, pull your focus inward. There should be a spark of warmth in your core. Do you feel it? Nod your head if you do.

    “Good. Focus on that spark. Feel how its heat spreads slowly through your body. If a stray thought enters your mind, that’s fine. Just acknowledge it for what it is, a thought, and let it pass. Don’t try to force it out, just let it pass and return your focus to that spark. Just focus on it for a moment. Examine how it feels, what you can feel it connect to, how your awareness of it is making you feel.”

    Shirou lapsed into silence for three minutes this time. “Now, I want you to activate your Aura while maintaining focus on that spark.” Shirou smiled slightly as he watched Jaune’s eyebrows shoot up. “That little spark is now everywhere, isn’t it? It’s more like a fire filling your entire body now. That’s your Aura that you’re feeling, Jaune. Your soul. This is the source of your life made manifest to become your power. The stronger your soul is, the stronger your Aura will be.

    “And now you’re going to hold like this. With your Aura still activated, I want you to feel it out. Poke at its edges. See how it envelops your body and heightens your capabilities. Get a feel for all of the changes. Just let your mind sink into it. Again, if your mind wanders, which it will, just acknowledge the thought for what it is and bring your focus back.”

    Shirou let Jaune hold his meditation for nearly ten minutes and only brought a stop to it when the other boy’s fidgeting had grown to a certain level. “Good. Now I want you to release your focus; let your mind go wherever it wishes. Think about whatever it wants to think about. Pay attention to whatever feeling it wants to. Just let it do what it wants.” Ten seconds passed. “Now bring the mind back in as you become more aware of the weight of your body on the floor, of the sounds and sensations around you. Whenever you’re ready, I want you to gently open your eyes.

    “So? How do you feel? Take a moment, if you want.”

    “I feel… better. More relaxed. Kinda sleepy.”

    “Good. And your Aura? Can you still feel that?”

    “Kinda? I know its there and it kinda feels like I can feel it but I don’t really know.”

    “That’s fine. Was this your first time meditating?”

    “Yeah. I’ve never done anything like this before. Thought it was something those super serious martial arts guys did all the time to, I dunno, float or something.”

    Shirou chuckled slightly, “Some use it for something like that, sure, but it’s a lot simpler than most people think. Anyway, you did very well for it being your first time. We’re going to keep at this until you can feel your Aura without having to focus on it. Or at least not focus  _ too _ much. Can you meet me tomorrow morning half an hour before our usual breakfast time?”

    “That’s pretty early but sure. We gonna be doing this then?”

    “That’s right. I want to try and get you to that point before the day’s out.”

    “That sounds like a lot of work but I’m game. Well, I’m gonna go grab something to eat. Thanks again for the help.”

    “No problem, Jaune.”

OoOoOoO

    Saturday evening came to find Shirou and Jaune once again meditating in Shirou’s room. This was the fourth session that day and Jaune’s progress had been promising. By the second session, he had been able to feel his Aura without active concentration and they were now moving on to the task of expanding his Aura to envelop Crocea Mors or anything else he was touching.

    “I want you to picture your sword in your mind’s eye,” Shirou said, his voice calm as he guided Jaune through the exercise. “Try your best to imagine every detail about it. Once that image is firm in your mind, imagine yourself wielding it. Now think of the sword not as a tool but as a part of yourself. It is an extension of yourself that is incapable of doing anything that you are incapable of doing. It doesn’t empower you. It doesn’t grant you powers. It is you, no more or less. Now let the heat of your Aura envelop you fully. That sword is the same as any other part of your body and if it isn’t protected then you aren’t fully protected. When you’re ready, open your eyes.”

    A solid minute passed before Jaune’s eyes finally opened. “I think I’ve got it,” he said, “but how can we check?”

    “Easy,” Shirou said as he got up and motioned for Jaune to do the same. “I’ll strike it. Hold your sword ready to block an overhead strike.” The stance that Jaune adopted was weak and full of holes but it’d do. “Now stand still.” Shirou brought down his black blade on Crocea Mors and watched as Jaune barely managed to hold his guard despite Shirou not putting that much into it. “Did you feel anything?”

    “Yeah, it felt like… something was leaving me. My Aura doesn’t feel as… full.”

    “Perfect. You’ve got it.”

    “Alright!” Jaune said as he pumped his fist into the air. “So can we work on fruit next?”

    “Nope,” Shirou said casually as he sheathed his sword and put it away.

     Jaune’s expression went from excited to crestfallen so fast that Shirou was surprised he didn’t pull a muscle. “But why‽”

    “Because it’s not my place. I helped you get this far because you’re my friend but if you want to get further, you need to look to someone else.”

    “But there is no one else! Ren is still working with Nora!”

    “Then ask Pyrrha.”

    “I already told you why I can’t ask Pyrrha! She’s just… way too amazing! She’s way better than I’ll ever be! I can’t drag her down by asking her to pull me up!”

    “That’s where you’d be wrong, Jaune. Pyrrha’s your partner, isn’t she? That means, at least for the next four years, she’s with you no matter what.”

    “All the more reason not to bother her. Sure, she’s my ideal as a Hunter but she’s just so far away. I can look on and admire all I want but there’s no way I can do anything more.”

    Shirou looked off to the side and bit his lip as he quickly warred with himself. Eventually, his desire to help others won out. “Listen, Jaune, I’m going to tell you some things, okay?” At Jaune’s confused look, Shirou walked over to the bed and sat down heavily before motioning towards the chair. Once Jaune was situated, Shirou began, “Do you want to know where I learned swordplay?”

    “I don’t know what this has to do with anything but sure.”

    “Well, I learned a bit from my father before he died. Then I learned a lot from someone who I considered by big sister. She didn’t have any real combat experience but she was scary good at kendo and that’s what she taught me. I learned a lot of really important stuff from her but the one who really showed how to fight was someone else.

    “You’ve seen me fight in some of our lessons, right? Well, my fighting style is just a pale imitation of  _ hers _ . There was this girl who was… my Pyrrha, I guess you could say. She suddenly came into my life and changed everything. She was a horrid teacher but she sparred with me for hours every day so I could learn from her and improve. She was truly amazing. I had never before seen someone so skillful with the sword and I’ve never seen someone as good since. Her form was flawless, her attacks were as fast as a raging hurricane, and her power was like a stray bolt of lighting. Even though I was pretty good when I started and despite all of the progress I made, I never even came close to landing a hit on her. She was my ideal in so many ways but never once did I come close enough to stand by her side.”

    “Well, who is she? She sounds amazing. Do I know her? Is she here?”

    “She’s dead. She has been for some time now. And no, you didn’t know of her. No one here does.”

    Jaune’s expression fell even as he watched his friend fight to hold back his emotions. He’d never seen Shirou with an expression that wasn’t a faint smile or concern but now that his mask had come off, he could see the fractures. He could see the vast pain and sorrow in his friend’s eyes and, in a flash of insight, knew that there was a  _ lot _ more to this story than he was letting on. “Oh, I-I’m sorry.” He didn’t press it. He  _ couldn’t _ press it. If there was one thing Jaune didn’t want to do, it was causing others pain and his friend had experienced more than enough of that for several lifetimes.

    “It’s okay. You couldn’t have known. Anyway, she was as distant from me the day she died as she was the day she came into my life. Even now, I’m no closer to her. But I still chase after her. I’ll  _ always  _ chase after her. I know that I will never be good enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her but I still keep chasing her. Because I can do no less.

    “Learn from Pyrrha, Jaune. Talk to her. Open up to her. Don’t be afraid of her. She may be an ever distant ideal to you, as far from you as Remnant is from the Sun, but don’t let that stop you. And, most importantly, remember that she’s Human, just like you. No matter how skilled she is at everything, she’s still a Human just like you. Reach out to her and I’m certain that she’ll reach right back for you just as  _ she _ had reached back for me.”

    Jaune was silent for a long moment after Shirou finished, absorbing everything. The weight of emotion was thick in the air as his mind turned his friend’s words over again and again. It was obvious, even to him, that Shirou and this woman had been very close before she died. This woman had been his ideal and he had chased after her with everything he had. While he had no idea as to the exact nature of their relationship, it still gave him pause. Could he one day be as close to Pyrrha as Shirou seemed to have been with that woman? There’s absolutely no way he can ever be as good as she was in combat but maybe, just maybe, he can support her in other ways as her friend? As her partner, even?

    Jaune thought back to a week ago when they had been preparing for their entrance exam. Back then, Shirou had said that he didn't have to be nearly as good as Pyrrha to be a good teammate. Ruby has said that a good teammate can cover for their team’s weaknesses. Pyrrha had just straigh up said that he’d be a good teammate. It was a ludicrous idea no matter how much he thought about it but it was one that appealed to him greatly. He felt pulled towards it. For the first time in his life, Jaune felt like there was something he simply had to do.

    “You’re right,” Jaune eventually said. “Thanks, Shirou. For everything. I’m gonna go talk with Pyrrha.”

    Shirou smiled at his friend, “You’re welcome, Jaune. Good luck.” 

    When the door to his room clicked shut and he knew he was alone, Shirou let out a long sigh and leaned back against the wall. With his eyes closed, he let his mind sink into his core to the artifact that was there. The only physical proof of her existence that wasn’t a fake made from prana. The item that saved him time and time again and served as his undeniable link to her. An object that had been with him for so long that his body was familiar with it on a level greater than any other.

    It thrummed in response to the contact of his mind. Shirou fed a bit of his prana into it and felt its warmth radiate outward, consuming him whole. This was his guide; the stick by which he measured his life. So long as it reacted in a welcoming manner like this, he knew he was on the right track. He knew that he would never be able to live up to her, who had owned it before, but he was content with it guiding him on the way all the same. Of course, a dark corner of his soul pointed out that perhaps its judgment wasn’t sound. Perhaps it would react that way no matter what sins he committed.

    After all, the sheath still reacted this way even though his beloved Saber, who had been its previous owner, had been killed by his own hands.

OoOoOoO

    Jaune stood outside the door of his team’s room and tried to calm his racing heart. While he had already made up his mind to follow Shirou’s advice, the simple fact of the matter was that the courage to ask had to first be built up. It’s not that he feared rejection in this case, it’s just that asking Pyrrha for help given everything was very difficult.

    Swallowing his doubts, Jaune opened the door to his team’s room. As luck would have it, Pyrrha was the only one in the room at the moment. Ren and Nora were currently elsewhere practicing with the very skill Jaune needed help with.

    “Hello, Jaune,” Pyrrha said with a smile as she looked up from the book she had been reading. “That didn’t take very long. Everything go okay?”

    “Yeah, everything’s pretty fine. Hey, listen, Pyrrha, can I ask you a favor?”

    “Sure, Jaune, anything,” Pyrrha said as she put her book down and sat up in her bed to face him.

    “Would you mind, uh, helping me with the, uh, whole fruit thing?”

    “The exercise Professor Port assigned us? Sure but I thought Shirou was helping you.”

    “He is! Or, rather, he was. Getting me to the starting line, that is. See, I kinda had no idea how to even put my Aura into things so he helped me get that far.”

    “Why did he stop there?”

    “Ya see, we talked about a few things and I just realized that I’d… really rather be… trained… by… you… if you don’t mind,” Jaune said while nervously shuffling his feet. “It’s okay if you don’t! I’d understand! You’re probably super busy with other stuff!”

    Pyrrha blinked in stunned surprise for a few moments before beaming at her leader, “Sure thing, Jaune. I’d be more than happy to help. Come on, let’s go outside. Twigs and sticks work well for this exercise.”

    “Why not use fruit?”

    “Well, for one, Nora and Ren are using the kitchen on this floor for practice. For two, given his reaction during the lesson yesterday, I’m pretty sure Shirou would die from shock if we wasted  _ too _ much food.”

    Jaune chuckled, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

    As the pair lapsed into a casual conversation as made their way outside, Jaune couldn’t help but replay his conversation with Shirou one last time. He had no idea what happened to that girl he had spoken so fondly about but he knew one thing with absolute certainty: He wouldn’t be afraid anymore. He would chase after his ideal with everything he had and he wouldn’t stop no matter what. The more he paid attention to Pyrrha rather than just practically dismissing her as being so far away as to not be worth considering, the more he started to see past the self she showed the world. The glimpses were infinitesimally small and so brief that they were almost impossible to notice but he was noticing them more and more. He had no idea what those tiny cracks meant but he would become a teammate she could depend on. That much he swore.

    “Hey, Pyrrha?” Jaune asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them as they walked over to a cluster of trees.

    “Yes, Jaune?”

    “Thanks. For everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And now the truth is out. In case you didn't know beforehand, the mysterious woman Shirou referred to in his narration in the previous chapters was Saber. The fact that Shirou killed Saber should be very eye-opening to those who are familiar with the original visual novel. I'd just like to once again say that this Shirou didn't follow any exact route. His Holy Grail War was a bit different.
> 
> Now that this has been revealed, I can finally point out that Shirou's Hunter attire, that armor that he wears, is based on [Protype Arthur](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fategrandorder/images/5/57/Arthur3.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20171206153328). He requested it to be that way when Ozpin asked in order to honor Saber's memory.
> 
> Lastly, have an omake! This should have been posted with the last chapter but I kinda forgot about it.
> 
> **Omake 3**
> 
> What’s in a Name
> 
> After V1C5
> 
> “Hey, Shirou, do you have a moment?” Ruby Rose asked one day as everyone was on their way to lunch.
> 
> “Sure. What do you need?”
> 
> “Well, I was just thinking about everyone’s weapons and I realized that you never told me the name of yours.”
> 
> “That’s because it doesn’t have one.”
> 
> Ruby looked at Shirou like he had just spouted off one of Nora’s insane theories. “What do you mean it doesn’t have a name?”
> 
> “It just doesn’t have one.”
> 
> “You mean you didn’t name it when you were designing it?”
> 
> “I didn’t design it. It was a gift given to me and its design was based on my abilities.”
> 
> “Well, did the person who made it give it a name?”
> 
> “If they did, they didn’t tell me. I honestly couldn’t even tell you who made it.”
> 
> “How could your weapon not have a name?”
> 
> “I honestly don’t see why this is such a big deal.”
> 
> To that, Ruby actually scoffed and looked taken aback. “It’s the biggest deal! Your weapon reflects who you are! Its name is just as important as your own!”
> 
> Ruby’s words brought Noble Phantasms to Shirou’s mind and how they were an integral part to the identity of a Heroic Spirit. “Maybe,” Shirou allowed, “but I still don’t see a point in it for me. Crescent Rose being named as it is may be important to you but my bow-sword being nameless suits me just fine.”
> 
> Ruby looked deeply concerned as she chewed on her bottom lip but continued on before Shirou could say anything else. “Well, what about your Soul Surge? You have a name for that, right? Mine’s called Fairy Law.”
> 
> It was clear that Ruby was almost desperately searching for something but Shirou had no idea what so he plowed onward. “I honestly haven’t given that whole concept much thought since I learned about it. I certainly don’t have a name for it.”
> 
> Ruby stared into Shirou’s eyes for a long moment, clearly deeply concerned. Feeling uncomfortable, Shirou was about to speak up when Ruby once again beat him to it. “Well, we should go eat. Thanks for telling me, Shirou.”
> 
> “It’s no problem.”


	7. V1C7: Painful Confessions

    Jaune and Shirou stood facing each other in full battle gear, weapons at the ready. It had been three weeks since the start of the school year and for today’s class, Professor Goodwitch decided to have two students spar to demonstrate the proper procedure of an official duel. To facilitate this, the class was moved to the auditorium and the two boys had taken to the stage, a spotlight shining down dramatically on them.

    Jaune stood in a very rough approximation of a defensive stance, only slightly better than when he started, while Shirou stood in the opening stance of kendo. Jaune was panting slightly, already fairly winded from the fight so far, while Shirou hadn’t broken a sweat. This fight had been incredibly one-sided to the surprise of absolutely no one. Jaune’s skill with the sword was practically non-existent while Shirou was one of the best fighters in the class. More than a few students wondered what Professor Goodwitch had been thinking when the combatants were picked and Shirou had to admit that he was among them.

    Then they actually started fighting and Shirou had to quickly revise his estimate. He wasn’t sure if Professor Goodwitch had some skill that clued her into this or what but he quickly discovered that his friend, for his almost total lack of combat ability, had either incredible defenses or absurdly large Aura reserves. Even when he started going full force with his attacks, any given hit barely made Jaune’s Aura Gauge on the large screen at the back of the room budge. Because of that and the fact that Jaune was adapting to Shirou’s kendo at a decent rate, this fight had gone on significantly longer than anyone expected. Even after fifteen solid minutes of fighting, Jaune’s Aura was only down to about half and it needed to drop to about a quarter in order to end the duel.

    Having fought defensively for most of the time, Shirou decided to go on the offensive for the sake of ending the match before the class ended. Moving from a kendo stance to a general kenjutsu one— not really based on any specific style but still drawing heavily from kendo, Shirou charged at his friend and executed a rapid series of blows. The first brushed aside his shield, the second his sword that had come up to counterattack, the third was a thrust to the middle of his collarbone, the fourth was a rising slash to his chin, the fifth was a falling slash to his face, the sixth was a rising diagonal slash to his right hip, and the last was a thrust to his solar plexus that forced the air out of his lungs and knocked him backward.

    All of that delivered at full strength and a quick glance revealed that he had only shaved off another ten percent of Jaune’s Aura.

    Taking a deep breath, Shirou returned his focus to Jaune who was currently staggering to his feet and contemplated his options. “We have two options here,” Shirou said, “Either we keep this up until you go into the red or you forfeit and save everyone some time.”

    “I can do that?” Jaune asked, completely dropping his guard in surprise.

    “Yes, you may,” Professor Goodwitch said from the sidelines, her expression as unreadable as always.

    “Yeah, I’m gonna do that,” Jaune said as he collapsed onto his back.

    “Very well,” Professor Goodwitch said as she used her Scroll to turn the lights back on. Shirou sheathed his sword before walking over to Jaune and helping him up. “As you just witnessed, Mr. Arc has surrendered. At this point, the match is decided. Alternatively, if the fight had continued and Mr. Arc’s Aura dropped into the red, an official could call off the match since Mr. Arc would no longer be fit for battle in a tournament-style duel.

    “It is always paramount that you be aware of your Aura reserves during a fight; be it a duel of any type or a battle against the forces of Grimm. Ideally, you would be able to sense your own Aura levels and be able to judge that way but, until that time comes, you may refer to the application provided for your Scrolls. This application will not only show your own Aura level, it will also show the levels of your teammates. You can set this to show anyone, up to six people aside from yourself, provided that their Scroll with this application is available to sync to yours but, for the sake of convenience, your teammates have already been registered.

    “Knowing how much Aura you have left is an invaluable skill and being able to check the status of your teammates is even more so. Just remember that you need to take your attention off of your opponent to check your Scroll so please only do so if you’re not in immediate danger.

    “One last announcement before class ends: The Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won’t be long before students from the other kingdoms start to arrive in Vale so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!”

    Just as Professor Goodwitch finished, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. As the students started filing out, Pyrrha couldn’t help but notice snickering coming from Team CRDL as they made fun of Jaune’s performance. She had half a mind to turn on them then and there, hoping to shut them up before her leader heard them, but the sad smile on Jaune’s face told her it was too late.

    Jaune knew as well as anyone that Shirou was one of the best fighters in the class and that there was no shame in losing to him so why did he look so defeated?

OoOoOoO

    While Shirou slowly ate his lunch, only half listening to the wild dream Nora was going on about that she insisted was real, he contemplated a certain blond male who was currently on the far end of the table scooting his food around his tray with his fork. While an undeniable breach of privacy, Shirou couldn’t help but know virtually all of Jaune’s thoughts and emotions thanks to Unlimited Blade Works and not acting on that knowledge was painful. It wasn’t like Weiss’ situation where there really wasn’t anything overly helpful he could do with his knowledge. No, Jaune’s problem was a lot easier to deal with but doing so in the most beneficial way while also not revealing his knowledge was proving far more difficult.

    Jaune’s problem was simply that he felt that his growth was inadequate. Even after three weeks, he was only marginally better than he was at the beginning of the school year. His academic scores were passing but that didn’t mean much considering the fact that most classes included physical aspects which he almost invariably failed. The sparring session he just had with Shirou only exacerbated his problem. As a matter of fact, Shirou’s continued existence seemed to exacerbate the problem which, in turn, was the big problem for Shirou. JNPR’s leader was very grateful for the help of his teamless friend but all of that help just made him feel like a burden.

    Shirou was snapped out of his thoughts when Pyrrha, having finally noticed her leader’s emotional state, spoke up. “Jaune? Are you okay?”

    Jaune turned to Pyrrha with a start, “Huh? Oh, yeah! Why?

    “It’s just that you seem a little… _not_ okay…” Ruby said. The other members of JNPR and RWBY, noticing the turn in the conversation, all shifted their focus to Jaune.

    “Guys, I’m fine. Seriously! Look!” Jaune’s thumbs up and laugh were as fake anything any of them had ever seen. Noticing that no one was believing him, Jaune racked his brain in an attempt to find something to say when a commotion going on behind him drew his attention. Everyone looked to see Team CRDL standing around a Faunus girl with brown rabbit ears and mocking her for her race. Not for the first time, Shirou idly noted how a lot of people in his world would go crazy over the fact that there was a reality where girls with cute animal features existed.

    “Jaune, Cardin’s been picking on you since the first week of school!” Pyrrha said, misattributing the source of her leader’s woes.

    Jaune jumped on the mistake. “Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah… He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!”

    “He’s a _bully_ ,” Ruby said, spitting the last word like a particularly vile epithet.

    Jaune scoffed, “Oh, please! Name _one_ time he’s ‘bullied’ me.”

    “There’s that time he made you drop your books in the hall,” Blake said.

    “And that time he made your shield get caught in the doorway,” Yang added.

    “And that time he shoved you into one of the rocket-propelled lockers and launched it,” Ren continued. Shirou had to use all of his willpower to stop himself from facepalming as he was reminded that those things existed and that _he had one_.

    “And that time he pulled down your pants on your way out of class,” Weiss supplied.

    “And that time he flipped your tray into your face,” Ruby put forth.

    “And that time—” Nora was stopped by Jaune slamming his hands on the table.

    “OKAY! I GET IT! Cardin’s a bully!”

    “Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask,” Pyrrha said. Jaune’s expression was caught somewhere between hopeful and despondent when Nora suddenly stood up and announced her plan with a not-entirely-sane grin.

    “Oooooh! We’ll break his legs!”

    “Guys, really, it’s fine! Besides, it’s not like he’s only a jerk to _me_ ; he’s a jerk to everyone!”

    As if on cue, the laughing of CRDL grew louder and were intermixed with cries of pain. No longer content with mocking her, Cardin had now taken to pulling rather violently at her ears.

    Shirou was in action before his brain even fully registered what he had seen.

   “Trace, on!” Grabbing Yang’s fork from where it lay beside him, Shirou projected a spoon and butterknife to go with them before throwing all three in sequence with pinpoint accuracy. The tines of the fork, strengthened by prana and not being blocked by Aura, easily pierced Cardin’s wrist, forcing him to let go. His scream of startled pain then died in his throat when the spoon collided with his jaw, the force of the projectile great enough to make him turn slightly. That left the base of his neck open to the butterknife that had been just a heartbeat behind, the projected cutlery striking true and rendering the stocky man unconscious.

    Teams RWBY and JNPR, along with the Faunus girl and the remains of Team CRDL, stared in shock, trying to process just what happened. Ruby, Ren, and Pyrrha; being among the first to get their bearings again, started to turn to Shirou only for the redhead to leap from his seat and vault over them and the table. The familiar forms of Kanshou and Bakuya were brought to the forefront of his mind almost automatically as he zeroed in on the others and it was only the fact that explaining them would be too much of a pain and that severely maiming Team CRDL, while immensely satisfying, wouldn’t win him any points that stopped him.

    Even with those thoughts, when he felt a hand clamp down on his left shoulder, Shirou was halfway through projecting them when a voice; calm, flippant, and _incredibly_ dangerous, stopped him.

    “Thanks for the assist but I’ve got this.”

    The voice came from a rather tall woman wearing a Beacon uniform. Even wearing the rather drab, if pristine, outfit, she somehow made it abundantly clear that she was a woman of high fashion and even higher standards. Not a single stand of her brown hair was out of place as she marched towards the table with strides that seemed purposefully planned to draw out every ounce of beauty and class that she possessed. This was clearly a person in possession of such charisma that she always drew attention to herself simply by existing and it was equally clear that she reveled in the spotlight.

    “Velvet, honey, you okay?” she asked the stunned Faunus, her voice sweet and gentle. The newly identified Velvet nodded somewhat dumbly, looking at the other girl for a moment before turning her wide-eyed gaze back to Shirou.

    “That’s good,” she said. Despite staying kind and gentle, her voice managed to carry such an underlying sense of danger as she changed addressees that even Shirou found himself flinching despite not being the target. “I see your glorious leader has already been dealt with but what about you three? What do you think I should do with you?”

    “Let us go?” one of them squeaked out hopefully.

    The girl hummed thoughtfully for a moment before ruthlessly squashing that hope, “I don’t think so. The world is filthy enough as is and it really doesn’t need more trash dirtying it up. I don’t think anyone would mind if I take some out.”

    There was no weapon on her. There couldn’t be since, outside of special circumstances, it was forbidden for students to carry their weapons around in the main school building (the classes that required weapons were always held in one of the outbuildings or even outside). There was no magecraft in play, that much Shirou was certain of. It wasn’t even that she was adopting some sort of fighting stance. She was simply slowly raising her right hand but that action filled those who saw it and were capable of understanding such things with such an overwhelming sense of danger that she may as well have pulled out a rocket launcher.

    The feeling instantly vanished when Velvet shot up and grabbed her teammate’s arm. “It’s okay, Coco! Really! I’m fine!”

    Coco regarded Velvet for a moment before smiling normally and gracefully sitting at the table opposite of her. “You really must learn to stand up for yourself, Velvet,” Coco said as she crossed her legs. She gave the frozen members of Team CRDL a flat look before waving them off. “Well? Go on. Shoo. Get out of my sight.” Snapping back to life, the standing members of Team CRDL collected their fallen leader and left in a hurry. The entire cafeteria was dead silent for a long moment before quickly returning to normal.

    “Hey, you!” Coco said as she gestured to Shirou. “Come here for a minute.”

    Shirou acquiesced immediately.

    “Go on,” Coco said to Velvet as Shirou sat down next to the charismatic girl.

    “Th-thank you for stopping him,” Velvet said, blushing for reasons Shirou couldn’t determine.

    “It’s no problem,” Shirou waved her off. “He’s been bullying a friend of mine for a while anyway. I’m just sorry I didn’t step in sooner. Are you sure you’re okay?”

    “I’m fine, honest,” Velvet said, a little touched by the concern. She gently rubbed at the base of the rabbit ear that had been pulled on as she continued, “Just a little sore, is all.”

    “I’m glad,” Shirou said with a bright and relieved smile that made Velvet turn away lest he see the bright blush that enveloped her face.

    Coco, however, noticed it. “So, what’s your name, hero? You’re one of the first years, right?”

    “That’s right,” Shirou nodded. “My name’s Emiya Shirou but please call me Shirou.”

    “I’m Coco Adel and this is Velvet Scarlatina. We’re a part of Team CFVY (Coffee) and Velvet here just so happens to by my partner so thanks for giving her a hand.”

    “Again, it was no problem. As for me, I’m unaffiliated; no partner or team.”

    “So that means you’ve got no plans for next Friday, right?”

    For some reason, Shirou sensed danger but he couldn’t tell why. “No, nothing in particular. Why do you ask?”

    “Well, it’s just that Velvet and I were going to go out for a little fun in Vale and, as thanks, I want to extend an invitation to you.”

    “Oh, no, I couldn’t intrude. It was nothing, really. Certainly nothing I need to be rewarded for.”

    “Nonsense!” Coco said with a smile. Her smile grew a little more when she saw Velvet stare at her in disbelief. “You won’t be intruding if I invite you and one good turn deserves another. You saved my partner so now we owe you a debt and I believe in discharging my debts.”

    Shirou sighed. That force of personality that didn’t accept anything that wasn’t what they wanted reminded him of Tohsaka Rin and thus he assumed that, like Tohsaka, trying to argue with Coco would be pointless. “Alright. I guess I can I come.”

    “Excellent! Meet us at the dock next Friday at 4 PM. Got it?”

    “Understood. Well, I should get back to my lunch before the bell rings. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

    “Likewise,” Velvet said as she waved at Shirou’s retreating form.

    “What the hell, Shirou?” Yang said when the redhead returned to his seat.

    “Harassment is one thing; assault is another,” Shirou said as he resumed eating. He noticed that Blake was staring rather intently at him but chose to ignore her for the time being.

    “I’m not saying what you did was wrong, it’s just— Wow. I don’t think Cardin’s going to be messing with anyone for a while.”

    “Actually, that might not be the case,” Blake said, her gaze still firmly on Shirou.

    “What makes you say that?” Ruby asked.

    “Generally speaking, bullies are what they are because they want something; power, control, and fearful respect being the most common things. Shirou’s actions could either shatter his delusions and make him reconsider or he’ll become even worse in an attempt to compensate.”

    “She’s right, sadly,” Shirou said with a scowl as he recalled a certain blue-haired monster. “I’m familiar with his type. If we’re lucky, that’ll be the end of that but my luck’s pretty fickle so I highly doubt it.”

    “Either way,” Blake said, “that was a good thing you did. You don’t see many people stand up for the Faunus like that.”

    Shirou shrugged as he took a sip of his tea, “Honestly, I didn’t even think of that at the time. I saw someone being assaulted and so I acted. Velvet’s race didn’t even cross my mind."

    Blake stared at Shirou for a moment more, the look in her eyes mixture of cautious calculation and something else he couldn’t identify. Then she turned back to her book and Shirou returned to his food.

    “Well, don’t worry about it, Jaune. Even if Cardin becomes worse, we’ll stop him before he gets too out of hand,” Pyrrha said, turning her attention to where Jaune sat only to find him no longer there.

OoOoOoO

    Later that day, everyone found themselves in the classroom of Professor Bartholomew Oobleck. Despite being a professor and holding a doctorate, the man was an absolute mess. His uniform was wrinkled, ruffled, and barely on correctly; his dark green hair was completely untamed and blown back; his round, opaque glasses were a size too large and constantly sliding down his nose; and he drank so much coffee that no one was entirely sure if he had super speed as his Semblance or if the constant influx of caffeine allowed him to zip around at impossible speeds. Despite all that, he was also undeniably the smartest person at Beacon with the possible exception of Professor Ozpin.

    Today’s lesson: The history of the Faunus Rights Revolution.

    “Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution— more popularly known as the Faunus War— Humankind was quite, quite _adamant_ about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie,” Professor Oobleck zipped over to the large map of Remnant on the back wall and pointed to Menagerie using a wooden pointer before zipping to his desk for another drink of coffee. Shirou idly wondered if his thermos contained a folded space that held an infinite supply of the stuff. “Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively _recent_ events! Why, repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day! Now! The chances are decent that many of the Faunus in this class— and, indeed, this very school— have been subjugated or discriminated because of their heritage! Let it be known that this school will not, under any circumstances, tolerate such behavior! It is because of the ignorance and fear of us Humans that the White Fang even exist in the first place, let alone that they went from a peaceful Faunus Rights Group to politically motivated terrorists!

    “Now! Moving along! Which one of you young scholars can tell me what many state to be the turning point of the third year of the war? Yes, Miss Schnee?”

    “The battle at Fort Castle!” Weiss said proudly.

    “Precisely! _And_ who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune’s forces?”

    Cardin, who had long since recovered, chose that moment to flick a paper football at a dozing Jaune so Shirou chose that moment to intercept it with a projected needle, disguising the throwing motion as raising his hand.

    “Yes, Mister Emiya?”

    “The Faunus, especially those of certain subraces, have nearly perfect night vision. When General Lagune attempted to ambush a Faunus encampment in their sleep, his larger army was quickly outmatched. His lack of knowledge regarding Faunus traits, along with a few other factors, led to his army being routed and him quickly being captured.”

    “Excellent! That is precisely the answer I was looking for! Now! Moving on!” The professor appeared in front of Jaune’s desk and slammed it with his pointer. Jaune practically jumped out of his skin as the loud sound startled him fully awake. “Glad to have you join us, Mister Arc,” Professor Oobleck said tersely. “Speak with me after class!” Cardin started laughing hysterically at this only to jump when Oobleck addressed him, too. “And you as well, Mister Winchester!”

    After the class ended, Team JNPR sans their leader slowly filed out only for Pyrrha to stop just outside the door. “You go on ahead,” she said to her teammates. “I’ll wait for Jaune.” Nora and Ren looked at each other before looking into the classroom where Jaune and Cardin stood before Professor Oobleck and then back to Pyrrha who was looking at them with a slightly anxious smile. Sensing something private was up, the duo nodded before heading on their way.

    “You two have been struggling in my class since day one!” Professor Oobleck said to Jaune and Cardin as he took another sip from his thermos. “Now, I don’t know if it’s a lack of interest or just your stubborn nature but whatever it is, it stops now! You’ve worked hard to gain entrance to this school and we only accept the best of the best _so_ I expect you to act like it. History is important, gentlemen! If you can’t learn from it… you’re destined to repeat it. Pages fifty-one to ninety-one! I want an essay on my desk by the next class! Now! Run along!”

    His piece said, Professor Oobleck was gone in a flash, little more than a green and white blur as he passed a waiting Pyrrha. Jaune came out a few moments later but fell to the ground when Cardin cuffed him hard on the shoulder.

    As the bully laughed and walked away, Pyrrha had to restrain herself from dismantling him as she helped her leader up. “You know, I really will break his legs.” Jaune sighed at the declaration which only confused Pyrrha. She searched what she could see of his face for a long moment, trying to piece together what was bothering him, when she was suddenly struck by inspiration. “I have an idea! Here, come with me!” Without waiting for an acknowledgment, Pyrrha grabbed Jaune’s arm and drug him along.

    After a few minutes of walking and a quick bathroom break, Pyrrha led Jaune to the rooftop of their dorm building. This particular rooftop was actually the roof of the third floor of the dorms, which happened to be the floor the first years were on, with the rooftop of the fourth and final floor being inaccessible. The sun was just now starting to set and the breeze was a little chilly but the view of Beacon’s central tower was fantastic.

    “Pyrrha, I know I’m going through a hard time right now but I’m not _that_ depressed,” a dejected Jaune said as he peered over the edge of the roof. Pyrrha stared at Jaune in confusion for a moment before the meaning of his words hit her like a road roller.

    “N-n-no!” Pyrrha dashed over to Jaune and pushed him away from the edge. “That’s not why I brought you up here! Jaune, I know you’re having a difficult time in class and that you’re still not the strongest of fighters so… I want to help you!”

    “Wh-what?”

    “We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!”

    “You think I need help?” Jaune asked, his voice a combination of hurt and resignation.

    “N-no! That’s not what I meant!”

    “But you just said it.”

    “Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn’t make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you’re capable of!”

    Jaune turned away from Pyrrha’s earnest face and lowered his head. When he spoke, his voice was full of a deep loathing, “You’re wrong. I-I don’t belong here.”

    “That’s a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!” Pyrrha insisted, trying to step around to look her leader in the face.

    Jaune rendered her efforts pointless by spinning around and exploding in anger, “No, I don’t!” Jaune sighed at the look of bewilderment with a hint of hurt on Pyrrha’s face. “I wasn’t really accepted into Beacon,” he said as he turned away once again, completely ashamed and not wishing to see her reaction.

    “Wh-what do you mean?”

    Jaune was starting to break down. As he talked, his words became faster and his voice became higher. He didn’t want to speak but the weight of the lies he had been carrying since the beginning forced the words out of him. He wanted things to stay the same but the very nature of the person standing behind him made that an impossibility.

    “I mean I didn’t go to combat school, I didn’t pass any tests, I didn’t _earn_ my spot at this academy! I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied!”

    Pyrrha was beyond confused. It wasn’t so much that she was confused, it was simply that her mind refused to accept his words. The Jaune that she had come to know over the past three weeks was a kind, honest, straightforward man. He was lacking in a few areas, sure, but he made up for those weaknesses by being strong in so many others. What he lacked could easily be gained with time and effort and what he had couldn’t be gained no matter how hard others tried. She had a million questions on her mind right now but there was only one that she managed to voice.

    “But… why?”

    “‘Cause _this_ is always what I’ve wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough.”

    Finally managing to get her body to listen, Pyrrha carefully stepped forward and placed her hand on her leader’s shoulder. “Then let me help you!”

    At her touch, Jaune stiffened. At her words, he spun around sharply, knocking her hand away, and exploded once more. “I don’t _want_ help! I don’t _want_ to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!”

    “Jaune, I—”

    “I’m _tired_ of being the lovable idiot stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! I’m tired of dragging everyone else down because they decided to take pity on me and help me out! Don’t you understand? If you help me out, I’ll get better, sure, but I’ll only be dragging you down. Coming here was a mistake. If I hadn’t gotten these grand delusions in my head, Shirou would have been your partner and the two of you would be unstoppable. You could be so much more without me weighing you down.”

    Once again, Jaune’s words had rattled Pyrrha’s brain but she was speaking and acting before she even had time to so much as think.

    “That’s where you’re wrong, Jaune,” Pyrrha said as she reached out and gently laid her hand on her leader’s arm. “You’re not dragging me down and helping you isn’t a burden to me. You don’t understand what your friendship means to me; what effect you coming to me for help two weeks ago had on me. I chose you as my partner, Jaune. I knew I wanted to be on your team from the moment I saw you at the initiation speech. I saw in you something that I knew I needed.”

    “What was it?” Jaune asked, his brain struggling to keep up.

    “You had you.” Jaune’s face started to flush so Pyrrha pressed on. “My life hasn’t been easy. Sure, all of the fame and money is pretty nice and I didn’t really mind the almost constant training but I had been singled out as special from an early age. For almost as long as I can remember, I was told that I was better than everyone else, that I had what it took to be one of the greatest Huntresses of all time, that I was an unprecedented genius capable of anything and everything. But there was one thing I had never been able to do no matter how hard I tried: Make friends.

    “Precisely because I was so talented and had all of this extra training, everyone placed me on a pedestal. They always looked up to me in awe but they never tried to get close. Never tried to actually _know_ me rather than simply knowing _about_ me. But you were different. You didn’t even really know about me and, even when you _did_ learn, nothing really changed. I know you look up to me but you don’t treat me like an idol. You treat me like a person. You’re my friend, Jaune. My first and greatest friend. Just by being you, you’re giving me something I’ve always wanted and, for that reason, I’ll gladly help you any way I can. You’ll never be a burden to me, Jaune. Because of you, I can be so much better than I ever was before. _We_ can be so much better.”

     Jaune stared at Pyrrha, completely dumbstruck and lost in awe. The words he was hearing were so far beyond his comprehension that she might as well have been speaking an alien language and yet their meaning struck his heart nonetheless. He thought back to his talk with Shirou before he had gone to Pyrrha and the other boy’s words were resounding even truer now than they had been before.

    Then she said the words that finally broke him utterly. “You belong here, Jaune. With Team JNPR. With Team RWBY. With Shirou. With me.”

    Acting almost without thought, Jaune quickly pulled Pyrrha into a tight embrace, clinging to her like a drowning man would a life preserver as his entire body was wracked with sobs. Pyrrha froze for half a heartbeat but her arms quickly wound their way around her leader’s back, holding him almost as tightly. By the time the two finally parted, the sun had fully set and it was agreed that they would start training tomorrow after class.

    As Jaune and Pyrrha left the rooftop, Cardin Winchester, sitting by the window in his room that was right below them, reflected on this information and decided what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The opening of this chapter was kinda tricky to write. I ended going through three or four different versions before settling on this one. Anyway, not much else to say so here's the final omake of this volume:
> 
>  
> 
> **Omake 4**  
> 
> 
> The Way to the Heart
> 
> Before V1C7
> 
> “Oh! Ren! Good morning. What are you doing up so early?” Shirou asked as he entered the third-floor kitchen to start breakfast.
> 
> “There’s something I wanted to ask you. A favor, actually,” Ren answered, his body language unusually nervous.
> 
> “Anything.”
> 
> “Do you think… you could… teach me how to cook?” Ren asked, only meeting Shirou’s eyes with brief glances.
> 
> Shirou was torn between being amused and concerned. Ren was usually so calm and controlled, very rarely showing any emotion outside of amused exasperation at Nora’s antics. To see him not only nervous but also blatantly showing it was more than a little odd, to say the least.“Sure. What made you interested to learn, if you don’t mind my asking.”
> 
> “Oh, it’s… nothing really. I’ve always been a bit of a decent cook but recently I just… This is honestly rather embarrassing.”
> 
> “You don’t have to tell me.”
> 
> “No, if I’m going to be inconveniencing you then you deserve to know why. You see, Nora and I have known each other since we were children and we’ve had only each other to rely on for most of our lives. I used to do all of the cooking, especially breakfast, and she always loved it but since you started cooking, well… She’s said that your cooking is the best she’s ever had and I just wanted to improve my own cooking skills so that she can enjoy my cooking again.”
> 
> With his explanation finished, Ren and Shirou stood silently for a moment before the most surprising thing happened:
> 
> Shirou laughed.
> 
> It wasn’t a small chuckle like he had done before but a genuine, full laugh. Ren felt like he should have been insulted but the simple fact that, to his knowledge, Shirou had never laughed before in the time that he’s known him despite having heard his team and Team RWBY laugh numerous times gave him pause.
> 
> When Shirou’s laughter finally calmed down, he smiled brightly at Ren. “Sorry about that. Your situation just brought back some memories. I’m more than happy to help you.”
> 
> “Thanks, Shirou,” Ren said as he stepped up to the counter as Shirou started pulling out ingredients and utensils.
> 
> “It’s no problem, Ren.”


	8. V1C8: A Strength of Will

    Shirou steadied his breathing as he aimed down the shaft of the drawn arrow, his target in his sights. Even as a bead of sweat trailed down his forehead and threatened to get in his eye, he remained singularly focused, every muscle in his body taught, waiting for the signal to begin.

    Seconds stretched into eternity before a green light and high pitched beep went off. The instant the stimulus was registered, Shirou let the arrow fly and dashed towards his next target, already knocking another arrow. One by one, he let them fly; never pausing for more than a fraction of an instant. He needed to push all of his advantages that he could since he knew that his opponent had him greatly outclassed in not only movement speed but firing speed as well. The only real advantage that he possessed was that, thanks to his countless years of practice and his choice of weapon, he didn’t have to stop to aim or check to make sure the target had been hit.

    When the final target was struck and the clock was stopped, Shirou saw that he had completed the course in 5.37 seconds. When the second timer stopped, he saw that Ruby Rose had finished hers in 7.19 seconds. Striking five targets dead center from fifty meters away in that time was no mean feat. Ruby shooting five with the same accuracy from two hundred meters away in that time was, likewise, impressive.

    Not that you would know that from the way Ruby was currently skulking.

    “Aw, jeez,” Ruby said with a huff as she let Crescent Rose in its gun form hang from one hand, “I can’t believe I lost.” Ruby had approached Shirou the other day to challenge him to a bit of an accuracy contest; her sniper rifle against his bow. It had taken a bit of debate and some mediation from Team JNPR for a proper contest to be decided but it had eventually been settled and so both teams and Shirou had taken to Beacon’s outdoor shooting range the first free period they had.

    Sitting on the benches on the back wall, Teams RWBY and JNPR sans their leaders had watched the proceedings with rapt attention, using the camera apps on their Scrolls to monitor the condition of the targets. When Shirou came out ahead, a mixture of cheers and groans resonated from them as Yang and Ren paid up to Blake and Nora.

    “Don’t worry about it,” Shirou said, ignoring what he was certain was the illegal gambling going on behind him. “I’ve practiced with the bow for almost as long as I can remember. I was even Captain of the Archery Club back in my old school. Honestly, I have to be this good in order to get by with such an outdated weapon. Once you learn to move and shoot at the same time, I’m certain you’ll surpass me.”

    Ruby smiled somewhat shyly at him but, if she was going to say anything, she was stopped by an approaching voice. “Hey, Shirou,” Yang said as she walked up to them, “How far can you shoot that thing?”

    “Accurately or lethally?”

    “Accurately.”

    “I don’t really know. I’ve never tested my limits.”

    “How about you try and hit one of Ruby’s targets? The center’s kinda gone but you can just aim to the left of it, right?”

    “I’ll give it a shot,” Shirou said before walking over to Ruby’s side of the shooting range. At this distance, the targets were little more than specks and would absolutely be out of the range of nearly every archer. Thankfully, Shirou _wasn’t_ nearly every archer and had a few tricks up his sleeve to make the impossible possible.

    For starters, Shirou hopped over the barrier before leaping onto the roof of the building. The difference in elevation wouldn’t make that much of a difference at this distance but every little bit helped. The second was taking advantage of one of the differences between Aura and Strengthening: Aura could only strengthen the body as a whole and held items while magecraft could be used to strengthen basically anything. As such, Shirou carefully fed prana into his eyes and narrowed them until he could easily make out every detail of the target as if he were standing right next to it. The third was his bow. While Archer’s black bow, which this one had been modeled off of, could have made this shot with no difficulties thanks to its futuristic (even for Remnant) material composition, the one he had could not. So Shirou fed prana into his weapon and made very subtle alterations to it; not enough to change its physical appearance or get in the way of the transformation mechanism but enough to increase its range by a fair amount.

    Thus prepared, Shirou knocked an arrow and took aim at a precise point above and slightly to the side of his target. He held his aim for a heartbeat before letting it fly. Without bothering to wait to see if the arrow struck, Shirou jumped down and reentered the building.

    “You’re not going to see if you hit?” Weiss asked.

    “I don’t need to. I knew I hit it before I released the arrow.” Weiss and the others looked incredulously at Shirou for a moment before pulling out their Scrolls and checking the target; Ruby looking through the scope of Crescent Rose. Just as he had said, the arrow had struck in the horizontal center and was so close to the hole that Ruby’s shot had made that it looked like it should have gone through it.

    Everyone stared gobsmacked at Shirou who just brushed it off. “It’s good to know I can make that shot but, unless I used a Dust arrow or the target has no defenses, it wouldn’t do much.”

    “Still, that was a very impressive shot. I didn’t think bows were even capable of shooting out that far,” Ren said

    “Are you gonna go for a long shot, Ruby?” Nora asked.

    “I would but the range only goes out to about three hundred yards and my record is one thousand three hundred seventy-two so….”

    Yang let out a low whistle, “Wow, sis. I didn’t know you upped your record.” Ruby smiled and chuckled sheepishly as she shuffled her feet.

    “Well, it’s about lunchtime now,” Shirou began, “so why don’t we eat? I made enough food so everyone could have some.”

    “So that’s what was in that large bag,” Blake muttered as she eyed the large parcel on the bench that Shirou had brought with him.

    Nora cheered, “Breakfast _and_ lunch from Shirou today! This is the best. Day. _Ever!_ ” Then she was off in a pink cloud of dust, digging through the bag to see what was on the menu today. Shirou quickly hurried after her to make sure everything got set out properly and not thrown about the place. Not that he had to worry, of course. Not even Nora would destroy something sacred.

    “So we finally get to have a meal prepared by Shirou, huh? I’ll admit I’ve been curious given how you guys go on about it,” Yang said to Pyrrha and Ren.

    “You’re certainly in for a treat,” Ren said with a chuckle. “It’s a shame Jaune had to miss out. Where is he, anyway?”

    “I’m sure our leader is _perfectly_ fine,” Pyrrha said a little tersely as she glared off to the side. Now that Ren thought about it, Pyrrha had pulled a crazy one eighty over the past couple of days. She came to the room one night with Jaune and was practically glowing, a glow which had carried through much of the next day, but then something had happened around lunch that turned her from a ray of sunshine to an angry stormcloud. It was clear that Jaune was involved in this somehow but what could he possibly have done?

OoOoOoO

     Three days prior to Ruby and Shirou’s competition, Jaune found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Specifically, a particularly predatory Cardin and a wall coming out of the men’s restroom.

    “So, Jauney boy, I heard the most amazing thing last night!” Cardin said, his tone and body language full of so much superiority, glee, and borderline malice that it was practically dripping from him.

    “O-oh, r-really?” Jaune asked, damning his stutter even as he tried to find an opening to flee. Sadly, the only one that presented itself led back into the bathroom and he doubted he could escape that way without doing something that required far more agility than he currently possessed.

   “Yeah. I heard that a certain someone had forged his application papers and lied his way into Beacon. Can you believe that?”

    “That’s— Naw, that’s just— You’ve gotta be— I mean that— There’s no way that’s true! I mean, someone lie their way into Beacon? Who would be dumb enough to try that?” Jaune said as he suddenly found himself sweating and breathing hard.

    “Well, as it so happens, that certain someone would be you,” Cardin said with a wolfish grin. “I heard it straight from your mouth. Bet ya didn’t know my dorm’s right below there, did ya?”

    Jaune’s skin went pale in an instant and he swore that his heart stopped beating for a second. “Please, Cardin, _please_ don’t tell anyone!”

    “Jaune, come on! I’d never rat on a friend like that!” Cardin said as he backed away from the blond.

    “A… a friend?” Jaune said cautiously. He didn’t like where this was going at all.

    “Of course!” Cardin quickly approached Jaune once more and trapped him in a headlock. It was only thanks to his training with Shirou and Pyrrha that Jaune managed to get his Aura up in time to stop from being choked. “We’re _friends_ now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you’re there for me when I need you, we’ll be friends for a _long_ time.” Cardin let go of Jaune’s head and the blond straitened up, softly massaging his throat while looking hard at Cardin. “That being said, I really don’t have time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us yesterday. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?” Jaune said nothing as he almost glared at Cardin. For his part, Cardin’s wolfish grin simply intensified. “That’s what I thought. Don’t worry, Jaune. Your secret’s safe with me.”

    Unsurprisingly, Jaune’s good mood soured instantly and the rest of his day hadn’t been pleasant. Doing the same work twice wouldn’t _too_ difficult but making sure the language was different enough to not get flagged as copying was going to be a real pain. He was sorely tempted to just write his, print it off twice, and let Cardin get in trouble for blatant copying— Jaune was reasonably certain he could set things up to make it believable that Cardin had simply stolen his paper for a while and he could probably get his team and maybe even Team RWBY and Shirou to corroborate it— but doing that would almost certainly make Cardin reveal his secret on the spot.

    Also unsurprisingly, Pyrrha noticed her leader’s dour mood instantly. At first, she just asked the usual, generic questions which Jaune brushed off with equally generic answers but it was clear that she was going to have none of that after their talk the previous night. As such, she had pulled him aside at the beginning of lunch and pressed him until he revealed his encounter with Cardin.

    “Where is he? I’m going to break his legs,” Pyrrha said as soon as Jaune finished, her killing intent so thick in the air that Jaune swore the temperature dropped a whole ten degrees.

    “Pyrrha, don’t,” Jaune said, his voice weak. “That won’t solve anything.”

    “You can’t just do nothing, Jaune! He’ll just keep piling demands on you until you break!”

    “I know that but I don’t really have a choice here. I just… need to tough it out until I can figure out what to do.”

    “Then at least let me help you! I can write Cardin’s report.”

    “No,” Jaune said, his tone making it apparent that he would brook no argument. “I know you wouldn’t mind but I would. This is my problem, my mistake, and it’s something I need to fix on my own. I’m open to suggestions but that’s it. If Cardin exposes me, you can claim that you knew nothing about it.”

    Pyrrha searched Jaune’s eyes for a long moment, trying to find what, Jaune was certain. After a long while, she heaved a deep sigh and said, “I wouldn’t do that, you know. If someone asked, I’d tell the truth no matter the consequences to myself.”

    Jaune smiled wanly at his partner, “I know you would.” Pyrrha returned the smile, just as weak. After another moment, Jaune spoke up again. “You go on ahead. I’m not that hungry and I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

OoOoOoO

    Jaune groaned as he walked through Forever Fall forest, lugging a case of six large, empty glass jars with him. True to its name, the trees and grass of the forest were a pleasant mixture of reds, browns, and yellows year round and the forest seemed to go on for forever. Lying on the northern side of the Kingdom of Vale, the forest took up nearly a quarter of the total area under Vale’s jurisdiction. Thanks to its size, geography, and relative remoteness; it was a veritable paradise for all kinds of creatures and people both good and bad.

    On this particular Friday afternoon, the first years of Beacon found themselves here on a field trip for their herbology class (many students had complained about its existence until Professor Peach, who taught it, demonstrated in a highly dangerous and probably more than little illegal way the importance of the field of study). Despite this, it was Professor Goodwitch, who taught dueling, that was leading them.

    “Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is, indeed, beautiful but we are not here to sightsee,” Professor Goodwitch said as she walked onwards, trusting the students to keep up. “Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest and I’m here to make sure none of you die while doing so.” The group came to a stop, Jaune nearly bumping into Cardin in the process, and Professor Goodwitch turned to face her students, a glass jar full of a red sap in her hand. “Each of you is to gather one jar’s worth of red sap to be used for a future experiment. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm so be sure to stay with your teammates and keep your weapons ready. We will rendezvous back here by four o’clock. Have fun!”

    Finally dismissed, the students began to split into team-sized groups and go about their assigned task. Jaune, for his part, attempted to sneak away from Team CRDL and join his team but Cardin had easily noticed his noisy attempt.

    “Come on, buddy. Let’s go!” Cardin said as he grabbed Jaune by his hood. Jaune stared at his team and saw Ren and Nora walk off into the forest, blissfully unaware of their leader’s troubles. His eyes caught Pyrrha’s for a moment and lingered there, wishing for nothing more than to break free of Cardin’s grasp and join her, but he broke the held look and resigned himself to his fate.

    Pyrrha sighed deeply as Jaune turned away before leveling a fierce glare at Cardin’s back. If the bully had even an ounce of combat prowess, the naked killing intent would have sent him running for the hills but he just continued on, blissfully unaware of the fact the had come a hair’s breadth from experiencing a world of pain the likes of which few knew more times in the last few days than Pyrrha cared to count. After a long moment, Pyrrha steeled herself and turned to go join Ren and Nora. For the time being, even though she didn’t like it, she’d just have to continue to trust Jaune.

    Off to one side, unseen by the others, Emiya Shirou scowled at the retreating forms of Cardin and Jaune as he continued to devise a plan.

OoOoOoO

    It had only been seven days since that disastrous encounter with Cardin but, to Jaune, it felt like seven months of hell. Just as Pyrrha predicted, the demands had grown in number and effort required until Jaune barely had enough time to take care of the things he needed to do. The one last night had been the worst by far. He had been ordered to go out and gather a box of Rapier Wasps for some undoubtedly fiendish reason. That had been a serious escapade but he was actually proud by the fact that he had done it.

    It wasn’t all bad, though. Shirou had decided to change up his breakfast menu a bit and started making foods that were particularly healthy and bolstered one’s immune system while promoting good energy. How he managed to make something that was impossibly healthy while still being impossibly delicious was perhaps the greatest mystery of all time to Jaune but he wasn’t about to complain. Aside from that, there had also been his nightly sessions with Pyrrha which he placed the highest priority on; ensuring that Cardin didn’t bother him by making sure to “accidentally” drop his Scroll off of the (different) rooftop before each one. It had mostly been a lot of theory and stances with a couple of forms thrown in since Pyrrha knew Jaune would be too tired for anything else but he still felt like he was making some serious progress for the first time since coming to Beacon.

    To make matters worse, the rest of Team CRDL was every bit as bad as their leader. While Jaune honestly believed that Cardin had kept his word and hadn’t told a soul about the forged transcripts— the other members never made requests “directly” to Jaune and Cardin never even hinted at the reason for the arrangement when they were around; they had no objections to using Jaune for just about everything they could. Of course, even that had a bright side since Jaune was now intimately familiar with all of their classes and often got top marks for anything purely academic.

    At that moment, however, Jaune couldn’t think of any of the silver linings as he finished lugging the six jars of red sap to Team CRDL who were lounging about like they owned the place. He just barely managed to safely set the case down before collapsing.

    “Hey, great work, Jauney boy!” Cardin said as he and the rest of his team got up. “Now that wasn’t too hard, was it?”

    Jaune struggled to get into a sitting position but found that his head was swimming. “I think I’m allergic to this stuff….”

    “Greeeeat, great great. So, _Jaune_ , I bet you’re asking yourself ‘Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect _six_ jars of tree sap when there’s only _five_ of us?’”

    Jaune nodded as he gingerly sat up, “That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes.”

    “Well, come with me and you’ll find out,” Cardin said, that all-too-familiar wolfish grin returning. Jaune could only groan as he wondered what fresh hell awaited him now.

OoOoOoO

    As it turned out, this fresh hell started with spying on Shirou who was currently a bit away from the rest of Team JNPR and putting the finishing touches on his jar of red sap.

    “Cardin, wh-what’s going on?” Jaune asked, confused, as they watched the redhead from just behind the crest of a hill.

    “Payback,” Cardin said wickedly, his hateful gaze locked on Shirou.

    “Shirou?” Jaune said as his eyes widened in realization. “Wh-what are you—?”

    Cardin interrupted Jaune by pounding his fist on the ground. “That’s the guy. He’s the asshole who nearly cut my hand off and knocked me out. Alright, boys…” Cardin pulled a very familiar cardboard box out from somewhere, a very noticeable buzzing coming from it. “Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps and now we’re gonna put him to work.”

    Russel roughly grabbed Jaune’s shoulder, the other boy laughing nervously as he pieced together just where this was going.

    “Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me, these nasty things _loooove_ sweets. I’m thinking it’s time we teach _him_ a thing or two,” Cardin said before quickly rising to his feet, the rest of his team right behind him. Jaune was a bit slow getting up, still a little weak from his earlier exertions, so Cardin painfully yanked him up by his arm before shoving a jar of red sap into his hands. “And _you’re_ going to do it.”

    “Do what?” Jaune asked, hoping to buy enough time feigning ignorance for Shirou to move.

    “Hit him with the sap!” Cardin leaned in close to Jaune’s face and spoke in a low whisper so only he could hear, “Either that or I’ll have a chat with Goodwitch and you’ll be on the first airship out of Beacon.”

    Jaune looked down at the jar in his hands and then to Team CRDL before looking towards Shirou who seemed to be having some trouble with the lid. He recalled all of the help the other boy had been and his choice was clear. “No,” he said firmly.

    “What did you say?”

    Jaune gripped the jar tightly as all of the indignities he had been put through because of Cardin came rushing back to him. “I said… _No!”_ With that final declaration, Jaune spun on his heel back towards Cardin and hurdled the jar at him with all of his might. Caught completely surprised, Cardin didn’t even have time to get his Aura up and would have been hurt a fair bit if it wasn’t for his breastplate. As it was, the jar shattered harmlessly against it, coating it in the sticky red sap.

    Jaune took a half step back, suddenly realizing that he might have made a big mistake now that his anger was fading. Cardin, meanwhile, looked down at himself before laughing darkly. “Oh, you’ve done it now…”

    Jaune laughed humorlessly as Dove and Sky seized him by his shoulders before throwing him to the ground. Jaune groaned in discomfort as he looked up and saw Cardin looming over him, a dark grin on his face. Cardin picked Jaune up by the front of his hoodie before punching him with a right hook and sending him back to the ground.

    “You _know_ that wasn’t very smart, Jauney boy,” Cardin said as he picked Jaune up again, a rather angry bruise forming on his jaw. “I’m gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny _pieces_.”

    Jaune’s head lolled back as he was picked, the adrenaline that was now coursing through his system washing away his earlier fatigue and the pain from the blows. “I don’t care what you do to me,” he said slowly as he brought his head down to level a surprisingly furious glare at Cardin, “but you are _not_ messing with my friends.”

    Cardin stared at Jaune for a moment, utterly gobsmacked. “What? You think talk like that makes you tough? You think you’re a big, strong man now?”

    Jaune simply smiled as he put his Aura up.

    Cardin roared in blind anger and lashed out with another right cross only to find his fist to stop a few inches above Jaune’s skin, a bright, white flash coinciding with the blow temporarily blinding him and the rest of his team. Cardin screamed out in pain, holding his hand and wondering why it felt like he just punched a brick wall, as Jaune, who had been knocked back onto the ground, looked at his faintly glowing hands in confusion, noticing that all of his aches and pains were completely gone now.

    Distracted and surprised as he was, Jaune had dropped his Aura and didn’t put it back up again before Sky Lark came up and kicked him in the back, making him fall onto his stomach. Brought back into the present, Jaune glared up at the approaching Cardin who had murder in his eyes.

    “Let’s see how much of a man you _really_ are,” Cardin said menacingly. Everyone suddenly stopped as a low growl was heard. Team CRDL slowly turned around just in time to see a very large Ursa Major burst through the trees. It leapt forward and landed with a ground-shaking “Thud” in front of the students, sniffing Cardin’s breastplate before unleashing a massive roar at Cardin.

    “That’s a big Ursa!” Russel said as he and the rest of his team sans Cardin fled.

    Cardin would have been more than happy to join the rest of his team in running away but had the unfortunate problem of being completely paralyzed with fear. As such, he just barely managed to get his Aura up before the Ursa swung at him with one of its massive paws and launched him sideways. The Ursa sniffed at the cowering Jaune for a moment before giving chase to its sweet-smelling prey. It towered over the boy who finally realized that drawing his weapon might be a good idea only to have said weapon subsequently knocked from his hand.

    Jaune looked between Cardin’s mace and the boy himself a few times as his mind raced. It didn’t take long for him to reach his conclusion, his eyes hardening with resolve.

OoOoOoO

    Shirou finally stopped messing around and put the lid on his jar properly. He had noticed the presence of Team CRDL and Jaune almost the instant they started spying on him— even if he couldn’t smell the faint scent of lemon he associated with Jaune’s power, Cardin’s killing intent was as naked as it was weak— and used his magecraft to reinforce his hearing so he could hear what was going on. When Jaune finally drew the line at attacking a friend, Shirou had released the spell and stopped eavesdropping. He knew that it likely wouldn’t end up well for his blond friend but this wasn’t something he could really intervene with. Thanks to his Tracing, he knew that Pyrrha knew about everything that was going on and that Jaune had specifically asked her to stay out of it so he decided to also apply that request to himself. He could very easily intervene now without suspicion since Jaune was very aware that he could tell whenever someone was near but decided against it.

    As he was passing by, Shirou exchanged a look with Pyrrha who was also loitering despite her task having been complete for some time. Shirou could tell from that look that she was also aware of their presence on the nearby hill, she knew that he knew, and that she was debating breaking her promise and running up there to unleash fully articulated hell on Team CRDL. The decision was taken away from her, however, when the roar of what could only be a rather large Ursa broke through the relative silence of the forest.

    By the time the other students realized what they had heard, Shirou was already in motion, Pyrrha half a step ahead. The brushed passed the fleeing members of Team CRDL and rushed to where they knew Jaune was located. They arrived just in time to see Cardin futilely attempt to crawl away from a rather large Ursa. Despite their mutual disdain for the bully and blackmailer, their better halves kicked in and caused them to reach for their weapons only to pause when Jaune got between Cardin and the Ursa and blocked the Ursa’s swipe with his shield.

    Surprised but undeterred, Shirou drew his sword only to stop when Pyrrha held her hand out. “Wait!”

    Shirou looked at Pyrrha like she had gone insane. He knew that she had been teaching Jaune how to fight properly but just throwing him into the fire like this seemed like a bad idea. Still, if she insisted… “Fine,” he said tersely as he transformed his sword into a bow and readied an arrow, “but I’m intervening at the first sign of trouble.”

    “You won’t have to,” Pyrrha said with a smile. Shirou gave her a confused looked so she held up her hand, now infused with a dark red glow, and moved Shirou’s bow, now also covered by the same glow, without actually touching it.

    “I see,” Shirou said as he put the pieces together. Magnetism was a very powerful Semblance, especially since it seemed to completely ignore the laws of physics that dictate how magnets work if Pyrrha’s insinuations were to be believed. Even so, he refused to put away his weapon which Pyrrha accepted with a nod before turning her full attention back to Jaune as Ruby and Weiss arrived, tuning them out as Shirou explained what was going on.

    Jaune shoved the Ursa’s claw to the side before slashing at its’ stomach with his sword. Another claw smash from the Ursa provoked Jaune to parry the blow and slash the limb before backstepping to avoid the lunge it made with its mouth. Every single word Pyrrha had told him about combat was pouring through his head as he went over everything practiced and discussed. He had no idea if anyone heard the roar or if the rest of Team CRDL could get to the others in time so it was up to him to defend the defenseless Cardin.

    The Ursa rushed at Jaune with a diagonal swipe and the blond was just a fraction of a second too slow in locking his stance. As a result, the slash blew through his guard and left him too off balance to respond to the follow-up attack from the other claw. His Aura held firm under the assault but the force of the blow sent him practically flying away. He managed to get his feet underneath him as he tumbled and slid to a stop before charging the Ursa that had returned its attention to Cardin. Focused as it was on both the sweet scent of the sap and the even sweeter fear Cardin was radiating, it didn’t notice Jaune’s leaping slash until it was too late.

    The Ursa Major’s head fell on the ground between the terrified Cardin’s legs before slowly disappearing. Jaune returned his shield to its sheath form and sheathed his sword before walking over to Cardin and extends his hand.

    Cardin smiled at the grim-faced Jaune as he was helped up to his feet. “Holy crap, Jaune!”

    If he was going to say anything further, he wouldn’t get the chance as he was cut off by Jaune. “Don’t _ever_ mess with my friends _ever_ again,” Jaune said, his voice low and threatening as he stared Cardin dead in the eyes. “Got it?”

    Cowed by Jaune’s aura, Cardin could only nod his head dumbly before Jaune turned and walked away. Still hidden from sight, Pyrrha smiled at her leader and turned around herself as the others did the same.

    Later that night, Jaune would tell Pyrrha that his arrangement was Cardin was taken care of, only saying that they had “come to an agreement” about it, and would throw himself fully into her training. Pyrrha, ever proud of her leader, could only secretly smile and vow to herself to do everything she could for him.

OoOoOoO

    Shirou stood on one of Beacon’s many balconies, lazily watching the final rays of light disappear behind the horizon. Many kilometers away, he could see the lights of the City of Vale grow in intensity as night slowly took over. Much closer, only a half dozen kilometers or so away, he could see the airship port at the edge of the great cliff that Beacon stood near. The port was open at all hours of the day but no ships could be seen going to or from it. From there, the rest of Beacon Academy’s ground opened up to him and he sat in total stillness as he watched a few students move about, some hurried and others sedate.

    One month. Shirou had now spent one month at Beacon Academy which meant he had been on Remnant for seven. Six numb months of near-constant fighting against literal monsters and one of a style of life he thought he’d never return to. Life at Beacon was, by no means, similar to life attending Homurahara but the handful of similar things was more than enough to make it difficult for him. No matter how much he tried to run from it and forget about it, it seemed his old life would forever haunt him much as that fire had.

    Despite his heavy thinking, Shirou had made sure to keep basic situational awareness so the fact that Blake managed to sneak up on him was surprising. “Oh. I didn’t expect to find anyone here,” she said as she stopped part way towards the railing.

    Blake was an odd one to Shirou. She was, by far, the least talkative member of Team RWBY and rivaled Ren in terms of overall quietness but Shirou could feel an intensity about her unlike any he had ever really encountered before and could tell from her body language at times that she was a very conflicted person. It was almost like she had some kind of storm roiling just underneath her skin and that storm was threatening to break out at times. That was a state of being that Shirou could empathize with greatly so, in their relatively limited interactions, he made sure to only give as much as she did and tried to act as a calming presence. He was pretty sure he knew what her problem was and was equally sure that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it so he figured that offering himself as a source of sound stability was the best thing he could do at the moment.

    Still, if he could get a chance to get to know her better, he would take it.

    “I like coming here to think at times,” Shirou answered her unspoken question, only reacting to her sudden arrival with a quick look at her.

    “Funny. I do, too. The view of Vale from here makes it seem like the world’s far away. Makes it easier to look at things objectively.”

    “And the closeness of the moon and stars make it seem like your dreams are open to you while the familiar presence of Beacon reminds you that you’re safe here,” Shirou concluded. Blake confirmed his supposition, clearly awed that someone else saw it the way she did.

    Shirou immediately ended that false belief, “Sadly, I don’t see it that way. I just like it because it’s quiet and the breeze is pretty nice.”

    Blake chuckled softly, “I suppose it has that going for it, too. I should probably leave.”

    “No, you don’t have to. Feel free to stay. Thinking about my problems does me no good so I could use the distraction.”

    Blake hesitated for a moment before walking up to stand beside Shirou and join him in leaning against the railing. “The same could honestly be said for my problems. Well, most of them, anyway. There are a few that I could probably solve now.”

    “Now that you mention it, I have a few of those, too. For example, I still have no idea what I’m going to make for breakfast tomorrow.”

    Blake chuckled softly again. “Oh, that reminds me, I didn’t thank you for making lunch that one time a few days ago.”

    Shirou waved her off, “No thanks are necessary. I’m just glad that you enjoyed it so much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat that much before or since.”

    Blake blushed slightly in embarrassment, “I really ate way too much that day. It’s just that I’ve never eaten raw fish before and it was just _so_ good that I couldn’t help myself.”

    It was Shirou’s turn to chuckle, “It’s okay. From the looks the others were giving it, I doubt they would have even tried the sushi anyway. I’m just thankful that someone else here would even try it. Everyone else I’ve offered or mentioned it to dismisses it out of hand.”

    “You said it’s called sushi?”

    “Yeah. Sushi nigiri, specifically. It’s a really common dish where I’m from.”

    “Where _are_ you from, anyway?” The question had been an innocent one but the way Shirou’s smile dropped as the life faded from his eyes made Blake want to kick herself. He didn’t talk about his past just as she didn’t talk about hers. She, more than anyone, can understand wanting to hide their past so what on Remnant possessed her to ask?

    “I’m—” Shirou began before cutting himself off with a deep sigh.

    “N-no, you don’t have to say anything,” Blake said quickly. Seeing the normally cheerful Shirou be so despondent didn’t sit right with her. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

    “It’s okay. There’s no real reason for me to hide it. In fact, talking about it a bit may even help. Do you promise not to tell anyone else? I don’t want anyone treating me differently because of this and I trust that you won’t.” Blake nodded emphatically so Shirou continued. “You won’t find where I’m from on any map or record, to my knowledge. I also seriously doubt you would have heard of it.”

    “Why not?” Blake asked even though she feared she knew the answer.

    “It was destroyed eight months ago. As far as I know, I’m the only survivor.”

    A story heard all too commonly throughout Remnant. People set out from the big settlements in hopes of finding a peaceful place to live with a different way of life. They find a place, they settle down, they build everything up, and then it all comes crashing down in the span of a single night. Countless settlements have suffered this fate and there were plenty of people who were either the only or one of the few survivors of them.

    Still, despite their commonality, it was hard to hear about it happening. To have someone you consider a friend, someone who’s extremely kind and helpful, be one such sole survivor is even harder. What does one say to such a person? Empty platitudes would likely be seen as insulting more than anything else. Should she ask him more about it or move away from the topic? She had to say something. Especially since Emiya Shirou was a young man who had always been of mild interest to her and one of major interest following the cafeteria incident.

    “Do you want to talk about it?” Blake offered.

    “There’s not much to talk about, really. There wasn’t anything special about it to most people. It was just a town. There was a local market just down the road from my house, I walked to school every day, there was a church on a hill nearby, the town was split in rural and modern halves, the architecture was a bit eclectic due to the different nationalities that lived there, we had a small park that wasn’t very good— There just really isn’t anything that’s worth talking about.”

    “What about your family? Did they all live there?”

    “As far as I know. My birth parents died in a fire when I was five— I don’t remember anything about them or even my original family name. My adoptive father died when I was ten. My guardian who I saw as my older sister died along with everyone else in the town. My adopted father’s father died when he was a kid. His mother died a bit before his dad did. His wife died shortly before the fire that claimed my parents. His biological daughter, my adopted sister, died saving my life. My adopted father was an only child and never mentioned any other relatives. His wife’s family disowned him shortly after her death and wouldn’t have anything to do with me. My guardian’s entire family also lived in the town along with everyone else I knew.”

    Blake swallowed thickly. Something bad befalling her family was one of her biggest fears and here was a person who had gone through that loss and more multiple times. She had no idea how he managed to keep on going in spite of that but she found herself respecting him a lot more for it. “How did you get to Vale?”

    “A guy by the name of Qrow Branwen— he’s Ruby and Yang’s uncle on Yang’s side— found me half-dead in a ditch somewhere and drug me here. Professor Ozpin was kind enough to provide me room and board and also admission to Beacon if I could pass a few tests.”

    Blake nodded slowly. It certainly explained a lot of things like why they had admitted a number of new students not divisible by four. “I… really don’t know what to say. I can’t even imagine having to go through that.”

    Shirou gave her a wan smile, “Hopefully, you’ll never have to.”

    Blake returned the smile before tentatively placing her hand on Shirou’s shoulder, “I don’t know what help I can be but, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll listen anytime.”

    Shirou’s smile this time was more genuine, “Thank you, Blake. I really appreciate it.”

    As Shirou and Blake turned their gazes back towards Vale, both of them couldn’t help but reflect on the conversation that just occurred. Shirou had no idea why he decided to tell her any of that but, once the words started, he couldn’t stop them. He didn’t necessarily feel better but he felt a bit drained; like a nearly hollowed out husk. Going over all of that without breaking down completely as the memories assaulted him all at once had been an extremely strenuous exercise and one that left him longing for bed. The silently brooding girl next to him, however, kept him around. He had just dumped some of his burdens onto her for no good reason so it would behoove him to at least stay until she was ready to leave.

    As for Blake, the fact that such terrible things could happen to someone who was usually very sweet and kind gave her pause. Despite all of the cruelty and injustices the world had placed upon him, Emiya Shirou still helped people. He still helped Jaune when he was struggling on something. He still helped Ruby with her accuracy and targeting speed. He still made breakfast for Team JNPR every morning and had even invited Team RWBY earlier that day to join them. He still helped out with cleaning and minor maintenance in the school. He still came to Velvet’s rescue at a moment’s notice. He had even helped her a time or two when she just couldn’t wrap her head around something.

    If someone who had everything taken from them multiple times could continue to be such an upstanding person and answer the cruelty of the world with kindness, what did that say about the White Fang?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So yeah, the Jaundice arc ended up going down pretty much the exact same way as in canon. The thing about this arc is that there really isn't anything to do with it. Sure, I could have escalated Cardin's bullying to a level where Shirou and Pyrrha had to intervene but that wouldn't have accomplished anything in the long run. As such, rather than waste my energy creating something ultimately meaningless, I decided to just repeat canon with some logical tweaks and instead use the narration to focus on Jaune's character growth and on the fact that Shirou doesn't always make good decisions. He's not going to be able to solve everyone's problems and will oftentimes not even really factor into the solution at all. This isn't Shirou's story and he isn't even the only protagonist as indicated by both the synopsis and the tags. 
> 
> As I said back in the first chapter, Volume 1 is going to be pretty similar overall to canon and the story will diverge more and more as Shirou's presence (among other things) influences the world. The reason for this is that RWBY is very much a narrative-driven show, not a character-driven one. What this means is that all of the major events would happen regardless of who's around or what happens to them. There's only a handful of events in the first couple of volumes that the characters can actually affect. It's not until towards the end of Volume 3 that they can have more of an impact on major events so that's when you can look forward to bigger changes being made.


	9. V1C9: Paint the Town Red

    Shirou had no idea what to expect today but something told him it was going to be a long one. The time had finally come for his planned outing with Coco and Velvet of Team CFVY and, if he was being honest, he’d rather be doing just about anything else. He didn’t have anything against them, it was just that there were so many productive things he could be doing today and fraternizing with two second-years wasn’t among them. Even back on Earth, he had avoided random outings with his friends for that exact same reason. If he was lucky, they either wouldn’t stay out too long or otherwise he could find a reason to beg off but he didn’t trust his luck.

    Still, if Shirou was going to do this, he was going to do it properly. He spent part of last night going through a list of stores in Vale (which was quite a long one) and picking out a few that might be worth visiting and then made a dozen ohagi for them to eat as a snack. He even made sure to turn some of his Lien to cash just on the off chance that it was needed. He just hoped that this didn’t end up anything like his disastrous date with Saber. That really wasn’t something he wanted to live through twice; not that he’d be able to live this time.

    Arriving at the port five minutes ahead of schedule, Shirou was surprised to see Coco and Velvet already there. As seemed to be the norm for Beacon students, both were dressed in what Shirou could only assume was their Huntress attire. At least, that appeared to be the case with Velvet and her armor but Coco’s impeccably stylish clothing seemed to suggest otherwise. Of course, only a handful of students at the school— and not that many more fully trained Hunters— seemed to realize that having actual armor to fall back on in case your Aura broke was a good idea so it probably  _ was _ what she fought in.

    Shirou called out to them and Coco simply pulled her sunglasses down and gave Shirou a very incredulous look over the rim. “This won’t do at all,” she said, her voice full of disapproval.

    “What won’t?” Shirou asked.

    “Your outfit. Is that seriously what you’re going to wear?”

    Shirou looked down at himself. Not wanting to casually walk about the city in full armor, Shirou had forgone his Hunter attire and instead wore a white, long-sleeved shirt with blue sleeves and blue jeans; his sword and quiver strapped where they belonged.

    “What’s wrong with my outfit?” Shirou asked, oddly defensive. Minor variations of this outfit had been his go-to set of clothes for just about as long as he could remember.

    “It’s extremely bland and would make you blend in if it weren’t for the weapons. How are you going to be a good Huntsman if you aren’t memorable?”

    “What does being memorable had to do with being a good Huntsman? Besides, it’s not like I wear this if I’m expecting a fight.”

    “Um, what’s in the bag?” Velvet suddenly asked, wishing to end this before her friend and leader got out of control.

    “Oh, just some treats I made,” Shirou said as he held the bag up. “I figured we could eat them as a snack later.”

    “A hero  _ and _ a cook? Looks like you’ve got a good eye, Velv. Even  _ if  _ his fashion leaves a lot to be desired,” Coco said. Velvet violently blushed at that, hiding her face behind her hands with a squeak, even as Shirou was torn between confusion and annoyance. “Anyway, let’s get going. We’ve got a lot of places to hit up today.”

OoOoOoO

    Shirou suppressed a groan as he all but collapsed in a chair, the mountain of bags he had been carrying placed carefully to the side. It was now just past twelve and the past three hours had been spent following Coco from store to store, going through more types and styles of clothing than Shirou even knew existed. It also seemed like Coco had made it her mission for the day to instruct Shirou in the subtleties of fashion since she had gone on and on about color coordination, pattern synergy and their effects, the pros and cons of various materials, and other related subjects that sounded more complicated than one of Tohsaka’s mega lectures on Thaumaturgy. The entire lesson culminated in a test as Coco led them to a store that specialized in Huntsmen’s fashion and told Shirou to construct three different outfits and present himself to her in them. The first set had been halfheartedly and quickly thrown together but this just inspired Coco’s ire so Shirou felt almost compelled to actually put some effort into it.

    Thankfully, Shirou wasn’t completely thrown to the wolves. Velvet had been an absolute godsend during the trip, actually talking about things Shirou could follow and comment on whenever Coco seemed to be taking a break and even inquiring as to what Shirou had been up to lately. During his “final exam”, she had even taken to giving subtle hints and advice about what he should wear. She had been the anchor of Shirou’s sanity during this trip and, without her, he’d probably still be trying to put together outfits that were up to Coco’s standards.

    At least Coco was kind enough to purchase the outfit she deemed the best for him so there was that. She was also pleasant to talk to when not talking about fashion and both she and Velvet had practically sung his praises when they tried his ohagi. That was followed by Coco giving Velvet a look of approval— at least, Shirou assumed it was one given that she never took off her sunglasses— and mutter something that made the rabbit Faunus blush brightly.

    And now Shirou found himself sitting at an outdoor cafe, utterly spent from carrying not only his bag but the two Velvet had and the twenty Coco had. He’d actually even been forced to use his Aura to not only strengthen himself but also protect himself from the handles that were cutting into his hands.

    It was at that moment that Shirou realized why Fox and Yatsuhashi, the male half of Team CFVY, decided to not go out that day.

    As Shirou took a sip of some sort of designer coffee Coco insisted that he try (he had to admit that it was actually really good even though he wasn’t normally fond of the stuff), he let his gaze wander through the street, idly noting the people passing by. He was just beginning to wonder if he should try to beg off or at least insist that they return to the dorms to drop off their bags when a group of blessedly familiar people caught his attention.

    “Ruby! Wiess! Blake! Yang!” Shirou called out with a wave. From their seats across from him, Coco and Velvet turned to look as Ruby returned the wave before coming towards them with the rest of her team.

    “Hey, Shirou! What are you doing here?” Yang asked.

    “A reward, of sorts. Everyone, this is Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina of Team CFVY. Coco, Velvet; this is Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long of Team RWBY.”

    “You were the one Cardin was harassing during lunch last week,” Blake pointed out.

     Velvet smiled bashfully, “Yeah, that was me. Coco insisted on Shirou coming with us today as a reward.”

    “In truth,” Shirou interjected, “I’m pretty sure Coco just wanted someone to carry her bags and that was a convenient excuse.”

    Coco smiled all too innocently at Shirou, “I got you an outfit.”

    “You did,” Shirou allowed with a nod, “but only after you filled my head full of fashion knowledge and then forced me to construct three outfits that met your standards.”

    “I allowed Velvet to help you.”

    “If she hadn’t, we’d still be in that store,” Shirou countered. Coco nodded slowly in concession and said nothing further, taking a sip of her coffee.

    When it was clear that Coco would say no more, Shirou turned to Team RWBY, who had been watching the back-and-forth with varying levels of interest and amusement. From the look in Weiss’ eye, he suspected that she would be finding a reason to “reward” him in the future as well. “So, what are you girls up to?”

    “We wanted to check out the decorations for the Vytal Festival,” Ruby answered excitedly.

    “Man, they really start preparing for that thing early,” Shirou said.

    “Well, of course they are,” Weiss said. “It’s a week-long festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! Everything has to be at a scale and quality that befits such a momentous event.”

    Shirou thought back to the Olympics on Earth and nodded in agreement. “I suppose. So why are you headed toward the docks? Pretty sure that’s the only thing down that way.”

    Weiss opened her mouth to answer only to be cut off by Blake. “Weiss wants to spy on the students arriving from Vacuo so she’ll have the upper hand in the tournament.”

    Shirou shook his head even as Weiss scoffed and stated that Blake couldn’t prove a thing. “Why can’t people just be honest with what they want?” Shirou wondered aloud to himself.

    “Hey, since we ran into you, do you want to come with us?” Ruby offered.

    Shirou had to resist the urge to take Ruby’s hand and run away with her offer. “Well, I don’t mind. Did you have any other place you wanted to go, Coco?”

    “Not particularly. Besides, this is supposed to be your reward,” Coco smiled innocently at Shirou’s incredulous look, “so you’re free to do whatever you want.”

    Shirou looked to Velvet. “Oh, it’s fine!” she said quickly. “I really appreciate you joining us today. It was a lot of fun. We should get together again sometime.”

    “And I promise not to make you carry all the bags next time,” Coco added with a smile that was reinforced when Shirou gave her another incredulous look. Shirou felt almost compelled to believe her and that just made him all the more suspicious.

    “Maybe we shall,” Shirou said slowly as he got up. “Will you be fine carrying all those bags?” Even if he didn’t like it, it was against his nature to both leave things unfinished and to abandon a duty that had been given to him.

    “Oh, that’s no problem,” Coco said as she pulled a rectangular object about the size of a brick from her handbag. She pressed a button somewhere on it and tossed it to the side where it quickly unfurled into a shopping trolley. “We’ll just use this.”

    Shirou couldn’t put a name to what he was feeling but it wasn’t a good one. “You mean you— Ever since— You’ve had me— All this time—” Unable to form a sentence, Shirou simply gave up, his head and shoulders slumping in defeat.

    “Don’t worry about your outfit. Just text me when you get back and I’ll give it to you.”

    “Yeah, thanks. Come on, let’s go,” Shirou said, his voice empty as he trudged towards the docks. At this, Yang couldn’t hold it in anymore and began laughing uproariously, doubled over and gripping her stomach. Weiss looked at the smiling Coco with great approval as Blake looked at Shirou with sympathy.

    Being the only one of her team not otherwise preoccupied, Ruby spoke up before heading off herself, “It was nice meeting you!”

    “Nice meeting you, too.”

OoOoOoO

    “Whoa. What happened here?” Ruby asked a bit later as she approached a police line that was blocking off a shop with a broken window.

    “Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle,” the officer on duty said as he finished writing down some notes on his notepad before walking off.

    “That’s terrible,” Yang stated the obvious with a sigh.

    “Why would someone do this?” Ruby asked no one in particular.

    “Well, let’s think about it, shall we?” Shirou said. “What are the reasons someone would steal Dust in the first place?”

    “To resell on the black market,” Blake answered.

    “Yes but there’s practically no black market for Dust in Vale,” Shirou said.

    “How do you know that?” Yang asked.

    “Because the existence of the black market is dependant on the availability and pricing of items. In Vale, Dust is readily available and fairly cheap. There’s almost no reason someone would purchase Dust illegally and possibly at an outrageous price when they can easily do so legally for not much. Also,” Shirou turned towards the storefront and reinforced his eyes, quickly examining everything he could see, “this store sells average quality Dust at standard market value. Not a particularly good target for a theft.”

    “Maybe it’s personal. The thief might have had a grudge with the shop’s owner and decided to get back at them by stealing their product,” Weiss suggested. “Alternatively, it could be a rival business owner wishing to destroy them.”

    “Both possible but unlikely. A rival business owner is almost certainly not the case given that the store owner will be reimbursed by the Kingdom and that there’s  _ plenty _ of competition in the area. Of course, they may have had other motives but that’s just speculation. While it’s possible that someone took advantage of the rash of Dust robberies to cover up their crime, it’s best to assume that the person or group behind the previous ones are behind this one as well.”

    “I wouldn’t really call two robberies a rash,” Weiss said.

    “There have been sixteen robberies of Dust stores in the past month alone. In all instances, this one included, only Dust was stolen. As such, barring other evidence, it’s safe to assume that it’s the same person or group.”

    “There have been sixteen?” Ruby asked in alarm.

    “That’s right. Am I the only one who watches the news?” 

    Ruby, Yang, and Blake all pointedly avoided looking at Shirou while Weiss said, “I follow the stock market.”

    “But how do you know about the money thing?” Yang asked. “There’s no way you could know that the money hasn’t been taken here.” Shirou gestured with his head towards the two detectives, one of whom was exiting the store with a stack of Lien in an evidence bag. “Oh.”

    “Maybe they’re building up an army?” Ruby posited.

    Shirou nodded grimly, “That’s the most likely reason. There’s even a group out there who are no doubt the prime suspects.”

    “The White Fang,” Weiss said sourly.

    Shirou nodded again. “They have a motive, the manpower, and a history of stealing large quantities of Dust. The last of which being a train robbery that took place about eight months ago.”

    “I’m aware of it,” Weiss said as Blake suddenly became interested in a building across the street. “That Dust belonged to my family’s company. Turned out one of the Faunus working at the shipping yard was a mole and tipped them off.”

    “Right. Anyway, the chances are good that they’re the ones behind this.”

    “It doesn’t make sense, though,” Blake suddenly interjected, very antsy for some reason. “Why would they rob a random Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale?”

    “Simple: To send a message. They’re robbing us of ammunition in the heart of what should be one of the safest cities on the planet and there’s nothing we can do to stop them.” Blake opened her mouth to respond but stopped and closed it, biting her lip. She had no way to dispute that.

    “I suppose those degenerates can be clever when they want to be,” Weiss said. Blake spun sharply around and had to visibly restrain herself from shouting at the heiress.

    “Maybe it was that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago. The police never caught him,” Ruby suggested.

    “Roman Torchwick is one of the seediest criminals in all of Vale,” Shirou said, “but he has no use for that much Dust. While you  _ did _ confront him at the scene of one of the first robberies in this crime spree and those goons you knocked out apparently didn’t say a word, there has to be someone who’s backing him and the only group I’m currently aware of who would and could do that is the White Fang.”

    “Besides, there’s no way the White Fang would work with a Human,” Weiss said.

    “Not necessarily true,” Shirou refuted. “While it’s true that a large number of the White Fang wishes to see Humanity either extinct or firmly under the heels of the Faunus, that’s not true for  _ all _ of them. Even those who  _ do  _ want that might concede to the logic of using a Human who has access to highly valuable information and resources that they do not.”

    Blake looked down, her eyes shifting from side-to-side as she considered everything she knew. “Yeah, that makes sense,” she conceded.

    “Of course it does,” Weiss said haughtily. “Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal. Why miss a golden opportunity to do all three at once?”

    “That’s not necessarily true…” Yang said uneasily as Blake looked like she was about to strangle the heiress. Thankfully, the murder  _ in potentia _ was stopped by a cry from the docks.

    “Hey, stop that Faunus!” someone on one of the boats said. Team RWBY plus Shirou quickly turned to the source of the call and rushed to investigate just in time to see a blond monkey Faunus leap onto the boat’s forward railing.

    “Thanks for the ride, guys!” he said with a laugh before jumping down to the docks and taking off.

    “You no-good Faunus!” one of the pursuing sailors said as he reached the edge.

    The monkey Faunus had apparently decided to fulfill every stereotype at once as he hung upside down by his tail on a lamppost while peeling a banana he had gotten from somewhere. “Hey! I like to think I’m a pretty  _ great _ Faunus!”

    “Hey! Get down from there this instant!” one of the detectives from earlier shouted up at the monkey Faunus, throwing a stone at him for good measure. The Faunus paused and grinned mischievously down at him before dropping the banana peel on his face.

    Laughing in amusement, the Faunus twirled up on top of the lamppost before leaping down and running off. As he ran past Team RWBY, he slowed down just enough to turn and give a stunned Blake a wink before running straight into Shirou’s clothesline-turned-choke slam which he had been too busy flirting to see coming.

    Surprised as he was, the monkey Faunus proved surprisingly skilled as he wrapped his legs around Shirou’s extended arm before grabbing his wrist with both hands and twisting while striking Shirou’s shoulder with his crossed legs. As Shirou was forced to let go, the Faunus released his leg lock and rolled onto his upper back, pulling Shirou forward and onto the soles of his feet. He paused to smirk before attempting to launch Shirou away but this paused was long enough for Shirou to grab his ankle with his free hand. Instead of sending the redhead flying, the monkey Faunus only succeeding in pushing him back and helping him to give his right leg a hard yank.

    Not one to be deterred, the Faunus kicked Shirou’s wrist to force him to let go before quickly spinning onto his feet. He had just enough time to see Shirou’s haymaker before the attack collided with his jaw. Following the force of the blow, the Faunus spun around and used his tail to grab Shirou’s wrist and jerk him forward into his elbow. As Shirou staggered backward, stunned, the Faunus brushed past him and gave a jaunty salute before running off.

    Growling, Shirou reached into his pocket and projected a flat kunai into his hand before drawing it and throwing it at the Faunus. Much to his surprise, the monkey Faunus spun around mid-stride and snatched it out of the air.

    “Cool knife! Hope you don’t mind if I keep it!” he said before disappearing around a corner, the officers in hot pursuit now that their target wasn’t otherwise engaged.

    “Are you okay, Shirou?” Ruby asked, walking up to the redhead who was rubbing at his nose.

    Shirou opened his mouth to respond only to be interrupted by Weiss. “That was absolutely perfect!” she said while clapping her hands together with maniacal glee. “That ruffian was no doubt one of the competitors from Vacuo and, thanks to Shirou, we got to see him in action!”

    “I’m fine,” Shirou said, more annoyed by the fact that one of his projections got nabbed than by the fact that he lost. “And I’m glad I could help. Still, we should probably go after him. I seriously doubt those detectives could capture him.”

    “You want to capture him?” Blake asked.

    “Of course I do. He broke, like, five laws in the span of two minutes. Are you suggesting that criminals shouldn’t be caught?” Blake quickly tilted her head to the side and hummed in acknowledgment of the point but said nothing as her thoughts consumed her.

    With Blake silent and the others not looking like they disagreed, Shirou turned and sprinted in the direction the Faunus disappeared in. As he rounded the corner, he found himself slamming into someone and tripping, making both of them fall forward. Not wanting to accidentally harm someone, especially since this someone was smaller than him, he instinctively moved to position himself under them.

    This turned out to be the worst mistake of Shirou’s life on Remnant.

    The collision with the ground wasn’t that bad but, as the smaller person landed on him, Shirou suddenly knew what it was like to be sat on by an elephant. Despite the redhead’s diminutive stature and lithe frame, they were somehow crushing his ribcage just by laying on top of him. Thankfully, the smaller person seemed to realize this and quite quickly got up.

    “Oh my goodness! Are you alright? Do you require assistance?” she asked.

    “I’m fine!” Shirou managed to wheeze out before descending into a coughing fit. When he stopped, he just laid there and stared up at the sky.

    “I’m done with today,” he said as he looked like he was torn between wanting to laugh and cry. “I get roped into being someone’s servant as a joke, get thrown into a cram session on fashion that I never asked for, get forced to take a ridiculous test on fashion, get my ass kicked by a criminal, and then get crushed half to death by a girl I was trying to protect. I am completely done with today and it’s only one in the afternoon.”

    Ruby Rose suddenly appeared in his vision, smiling sympathetically down at him as she held her hand out. “Well, at least it can’t get any worse,” she said helpfully.

    Shirou took the offered hand and stood up. “Oh god, please don’t say that,” he said before returning Ruby’s smile. “Are you okay?” he asked the girl he had ran into who had been smiling absently at them after Shirou said he was fine.

    “I’m  _ wonderful _ ! Thank you for asking,” she said, her voice strangely intoned. “Are you certain that you don’t require assistance?”

    “Yes, I’m fine.”

    “Oh! I should introduce myself! Sal-u-ta-tions! My name is Penny! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” the strange girl said happily.

    “I’m Shirou.”

    “Hi, Penny. I’m Ruby.”

    “I’m Weiss.”

    “Blake.”

    “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” Yang asked only to have Blake elbow her in the side. “Oh, I’m Yang.”

    “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Penny said.

    “You already said that,” Weiss pointed out.

    Penny paused for a moment in contemplation. “So I did!”

    “Well, I’m sorry for running into you,” Shirou said before walking away with Team RWBY.

    “Take care, friend!” Ruby called out with a wave.

    When they had gotten a decent distance away, Yang spoke up. “She was…  _ weird _ …”

     “Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?” Weiss asked herself as she looked around for signs of him. Shirou just so happened to know almost precisely where he was since he was still holding on to that projected kunai but he had no way of revealing this without also revealing that ability so he chose to say nothing. Not that he had to make the choice as they found a rather intense Penny suddenly standing in front of them.

    “What did you call me?” Penny asked.

    “Oh, I’m really sorry, I definitely didn’t think you heard me!” Yang quickly said.

    “No, not you,” Penny said dismissively before pushing her way through the group to stand before Ruby. “ _ You. _ ”

    Ruby looked very much like a cornered rabbit at that moment. “ _ Me? _ I-I don’t know. I, what, I, um, uh…?”

    “You called me ‘friend’!” Penny said. “Am I  _ really _ your friend?”

    “Umm…” Ruby looked over Penny’s shoulder to her teammates and Shirou. The former were violently shaking their heads while the latter shrugged. “Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?” she said, ignoring Shirou’s cry of pain as Weiss smacked him in the back of the head.

    As for Penny, she looked like all of her birthdays came at once. “Sen-sational! We can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys!”

    “Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?” Ruby asked Weiss with a groan.

    “Thankfully, no,” Weiss said.

    “So… what are you doing in Vale?” Yang asked.

    “I’m here to fight in the tournament.”

    “Wait,  _ you’re _ fighting in the tournament?” Weiss asked incredulously.

    Penny gave a little salute. “I’m combat ready!”

    “Forgive me but you hardly look the part.”

    “Says the girl wearing a dress,” Blake snidely remarked.

    Weiss crossed her arms, “It’s a combat skirt!”

    In a flurry of rose petals, Ruby was by Weiss’ side, her arms also crossed. “Yeah!” she said before low-fiving Weiss.

    “I once knew a girl who fought in a full dress. She was the best swordsman I knew,” Shirou remarked although he couldn’t be certain if anyone paid attention.

    “Wait a minute,” Weiss said as she realized something. “If you’re here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed… rapscallion?”

    “The who?” Penny asked.

    “The filthy Faunus from the boat!” Weiss said as she pulled a crude drawing of him from somewhere.

    “Why do you keep saying that‽” Blake said, more than a little offended.

    “Huh?”

    “Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He’s a person!”

    “Oh, I’m sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?”

    “Now, calm down, girls,” Shirou said as he started to step between them, moving his hands in a placating gesture. “There’s no need to—”

**“YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!”** they both said in unison. Shirou quickly threw his hands up in surrender before returning to the others, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Ruby gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and another sympathetic smile.

    “You need to stop that!” Blake said to Weiss.

    “Stop  _ what? _ He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he’ll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!”

    Blake growled dangerously as the air was filled with killing intent. “You ignorant little  _ brat! _ ”

    A look of hurt and betrayal flashed across Weiss' face as Blake spun sharply around and started to walk off. Clearly not finished, Weiss gave chase. “How dare you talk to me like that!  _ I _ am your teammate!”

    “ _ You _ are a judgemental little girl.”

    “What in the world makes you say that?”

    “The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!”

    Yang slid up next to Ruby and Shirou, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Um, I think we should probably go…”

    Shirou was torn between wanting to help and wanting to leave them to their own business. The memory of how terribly his day has gone so far made him choose the latter. “Yeah, let’s.”

    “Where are we going?” Penny asked as she popped up behind Ruby.

    “So you admit it!” Weiss said, still focused on her argument. “The White Fang  _ is _ a just a radical group of terrorists!”

    “That’s not what I meant and you know it!” Blake retorted.

    As the two girls continued to argue, Shirou and the others slowly backed away before deciding to go get a late lunch from the other side of town.

OoOoOoO

    Unfortunately for Ruby and Yang, Weiss and Blake’s argument wasn’t a one-time issue. For the rest of the day, the most random of subjects and incidents would spark another argument and every attempt at mediation resulted in a swift and fierce rebuke; seemingly the only thing both girls could agree upon anymore.

    “I don’t understand  _ why _ this is causing such a problem!” Weiss said in their dorm that night. They had only just settled down into their beds when another argument got triggered by what Ruby and Yang could only assume was some kind of telepathy since no one had been talking.

    “That  _ is _ the problem!” Blake said as if that explained everything.

    Weiss got up from her bed. “You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don’t you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!”

    Blake followed suit. “There’s no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It’s because of people like Cardin, people like  _ you _ , that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!”

   “People like  _ me _ ?”

    “You’re discriminatory!”

    “I’m a victim!” Weiss and Blake glared at each other for a long moment before Weiss decided something. She leaned in and spoke quietly; not that it stopped Ruby and Yang from hearing her. “You want to know  _ why _ I despise the White Fang? Why I don’t particularly trust the Faunus?” She leaned against the bookshelf underneath the window, her expression a cold, impassive mask as she dug into some rather unpleasant memories. “It’s because they’ve been at war with my family for years. War, as in  _ actual _ bloodshed. My grandfather’s company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I’ve watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust stolen. And, every day, my father would come home furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood.” The last sentence was accompanied by Weiss banging her fist against the bookshelf, the only display of emotion she had shown that entire time.

    Ruby, who had gotten down part way through, walked over to Weiss and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Weiss, I—”

    “No!” Weiss said sharply. She paused and reigned her anger in, oddly comforted by Ruby’s hand, before gently moving it away and saying “No” once more but in a much softer voice.

    Weiss turned her attention back to Blake, “You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It’s because they’re a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!”

    Blake had no idea how to react. She had been fully aware of the more… extreme measures the White Fang had taken against certain targets and even knew that the Schnee Dust Company was one such target. However, for whatever reason, she had never put the pieces together and realized just how that would have affected Weiss and those around her. No, it was more like she didn’t let herself put those pieces together. If she didn’t know what their actions had done, she wouldn’t be burdened by any more grief.

    Of course, there was still the matter that Weiss was insulting some very good, if misguided, people and that she was lumping  _ all _ Faunus in with the White Fang. Such blatant racism shouldn’t be tolerated no matter how logical the reason for its existence. Then there was the fact that, despite her best efforts, Blake was taking the entire thing rather personally so trying to remain objective had been long since impossible.

    Conflicted as she was, Blake said the first thing that came to mind. “Well, maybe  _ we _ were just tired of being pushed around!”

    Blake was horrified for more than one reason as the words left her mouth. She glanced around quickly, looking between her shocked teammates and seeing nothing but judgment and condemnation in their expressions no matter how they tried to hide it. “I… I…” Unable to take it, Blake rushed out of the dorm as quickly as she could.

    “Blake, wait! Come back!” Ruby called after her but she was already gone.

OoOoOoO

    Outside of Beacon, Blake came to a stop at the fountain in the central plaza. The fine stonework depicting a Huntsman and Huntress standing atop of a cliff overlooking a Beowolf felt particularly symbolic to her at the moment.

    Burdened by the weight of her sins, Blake finally let herself cry. Almost on their own, her arms rose to her ever-present bow and untied it, the familiar accessory feeling more like a ball-and-chain than ever. As she pulled it away, her black cat ears were, at last, revealed to the world, drooped in sadness.

    “I knew you would look better without the bow,” a familiar voice said. Blake spun around, startled, only see Emiya Shirou standing not five feet away.

    “Shirou! You— When— How— What do you mean you  _ knew _ ?” Blake asked.

    “Well, let’s see: Your behaviors and habits have reminded me of a cat on more than one occasion, you react  _ very _ strongly to practically any mention of the Faunus or White Fang— you practically burnt holes in me when I stopped Cardin from assaulting Velvet, the color of your eyes is one not found in Humans but isn’t uncommon in Faunus, you have the best night vision out of everyone, you wear that bow more than Ruby wears her cloak, and I’ve seen that bow twitch a few times for seemingly no reason. Taken all together, you being a Faunus is the only logical conclusion.”

    Blake was unsure whether to feel embarrassed, upset, or some other emotion so she settled for numb. “When you lay it out like that, it makes me wonder why I even bothered to hide it in the first place.”

    “To be fair, most people don’t really pay attention to small details like that. I only do because my father impressed upon me the importance of seeing everything.”

    “He sounds like a smart man. How long have you known?”

    “Known? Not until just now. But I’ve been almost certain of it for a couple of weeks.”

    “Why didn’t you say anything?”

    “What was there to say? You had your reasons for hiding it and I fully understand, perhaps better than anyone else in our class, wanting to keep certain things a secret. You would tell me when you wanted to; if you wanted to.”

    “Well… thanks… Shirou.”

    “It’s not a problem. I assume that your argument with Weiss led to you saying things you shouldn’t have?”

    “They now know I’m a Faunus. And that I used to be a member of the White Fang.” Shirou’s complete lack of surprise at this revelation only served to make Blake feel like even more of an idiot. “You knew that, too?”

    “Not until this afternoon. It had been a remote possibility before then. Do you want to go back to your team?” Blake shook her head. “I still have an apartment in Vale. If you want, we can spend the night there.”

    “‘We’?”

    “Yes, we. If you insist, I’ll just give you my key and the address but it’s really best if you have someone available to talk to. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

    “I… think I’d like that,” Blake said, a ghost of a smile crossing her face.

    “Good. Let’s get going before the rest of your team shows up.”

    “Hey, Shirou?”

    “Hm?”

    “What were you going here anyway?”

    “I have trouble sleeping sometimes and a walk outside helps a bit. Besides, our dorms share a wall and you and Weiss were being quite loud.”

    Blake ducked her head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

    Shirou gave her a comforting smile. “It’s quite alright, Blake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, Sun was replaced by Shirou at the end of this chapter. As you can probably expect, this means that he won't be showing up for the showdown at the docks next chapter. I expect and Sun fans reading this will be mad at me for that but I have a number of reasons for it. For starters, it was really easy to get Shirou to be at the fountain at that time and thus I could use him to make events diverge from canon a bit and thus make the climax of Volume 1 more interesting to read. Not only that but this one change, as minor as it seems, is also the biggest one in the story so far that came about due to actions the characters took. I'm not kidding when I say that you'll be seeing the effects of this change for literally the entire story.
> 
> In case you're wondering, Sun still showed up at the fountain but he saw Shirou wandering around and didn't feel like messing with him so he took off.
> 
> Next up is the Volume 1 finale. Hang on to your hats, folks. It's gonna be a doozy.


	10. V1C10: Uncomfortable Truths

    Ruby sighed as she looked over at Blake’s empty bed when she woke up. They had practically turned Beacon upside down looking for her the previous night and had been forced to retire for the night when 3 am came and went with no luck. Ruby had held on to the hope that their wayward friend would return during the night but that clearly hadn’t been the case.

    After getting everyone else up, Ruby trudged to the kitchen where Teams RWBY and JNPR ate breakfast only to find Team JNPR sitting around the table with no Shirou or food in sight.

    “Where’s Shirou?” Ruby asked as she took a seat next to Ren.

    “No idea,” Jaune said. “He’s usually up and in here before any of us.”

    “We just figured he slept through his alarm or something so we’re letting him sleep in,” Nora said.

    Ruby shared a concerned look with her teammates before getting up and walking off. “Hey, where’s Blake?” Ren asked.

    “We don’t know,” Yang said with a sigh. “There was an argument last night and some things were said that made her run off.”

    “Have you tried calling her?” Pyrrha asked.

    “Yeah, but she won’t answer. That little Aura reading app says she’s fine so at least there’s that.”

    “Shirou’s not in his room,” Ruby said as she returned.

    “Now that’s odd. Shirou is very much a creature of habit so something must have forced a change of schedule,” Ren said.

    “Maybe he’s with Blake?” Ruby suggested.

    “They _have_ been a lot closer this past week,” Yang commented.

    “Have you already checked around Beacon?” Pyrrha asked.

    “Yeah, we did that last night.”

    “Then they’re probably somewhere in Vale. I’ll make us something to eat and then we can start searching,” Ren said as he got up and walked over to the pantry.

    “Oh, you don’t have to do that! You guys can do whatever you were gonna do. We can search for Blake,” Ruby said.

    “Nonsense. Blake is our friend, too, so, even if she _is_ with Shirou, we should help look for her,” Pyrrha said.

    “Thanks, guys. This really means a lot to us,” Yang said as she smiled at Team JNPR.

    “Ah, don’t mention it. It’s the least we can do,” Jaune said.

    As the conversation turned to more casual topics, Ruby looked over to Weiss, who had been silent the entire time. Her partner was currently staring blankly down at her Scroll, looking as if she was reading something but Ruby knew better. She would have to try and talk to her in private at some point before they found Blake. While she was terrible at this sort of thing, she got the impression that her friend could really use a sympathetic ear and providing just that was the least she could do.

OoOoOoO

    When Blake awoke, it took her a few moments to remember just where she was and what she was doing there. Once her mind caught up, she struggled with trying to decide what emotion she should be feeling more of and in what order she should be feeling them. Her argument with Weiss had been disastrous, to say the least, and Shirou revealing what he knew and for how long made her feel like a child trying to hide that they had eaten from the cookie jar despite the crumbs all over their face. And now she found herself in his apartment, laying in his bed, wearing one of his pajamas (which fit her surprisingly well), and he was currently cooking breakfast if her nose was anything to go by.

    Blake really didn’t know why she had accepted Shirou’s offer. Well, she knew exactly why but she shouldn’t have done it anyway. She had made a mess of everything, revealed things that should have been left secret, and now she had drug Shirou into her problems. Well, no more. She would get dressed and then quietly slip out the window down the fire escape. From there, she could—

    “If you’re thinking about running away, I really wish you wouldn’t,” Shirou said from in the kitchen.

    Blake froze in her movement, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. How did Shirou know what she had been thinking? How did he even know that she was awake? She knew her friend was very perceptive but this level was just too much. She contemplated bolting anyway but decided that doing so would just be an insult to his hospitality and decided instead to confront him. That being said, she didn’t want to confront him while wearing his pajamas but a cursory inspection of the room (which was almost painfully bare; containing only a bed and a clock) didn’t turn up her clothing and she didn’t feel comfortable rooting around his closet.

    With no other option that she wished to take, Blake stepped out of Shirou’s bedroom while still wearing his pajamas.

    “Glad to see you’re awake,” Shirou said, his back to her as he worked away in the kitchen of his apartment. “I’m sorry that your clothes aren’t ready. I threw them in the wash and you woke up before they were done. It’ll only be a few more minutes now.”

    “That’s alright. I’ve imposed more than enough as is. You really didn’t have to do that,” Blake said as she walked over to the small couch and took a seat. Somewhat unsurprisingly, she found a pot of coffee sitting on the coffee table along with two cups and various additives. Actually taking the time to look around the place, she found that Shirou’s entire apartment was just as scarcely furnished as his bedroom had been and there wasn’t a decoration to be found anywhere. The closest thing was a small bookshelf that was filled with about a dozen reference books.

    “It’s the least I could do. You are my guest and, as such, I must be a good host. Breakfast will be finished in just a moment then you are free to use the bath. Your clothes will be finished drying by the time you get out.”

    Blake stared down into her coffee, her hands gripping the mug tightly as she swallowed thickly and tried to get a hold of her emotions. “Thank you, Shirou.”

    “It’s no problem. After all, what are friends for?”

    As Shirou laid out breakfast— grilled fish, rice, a murky soup that he said was called miso soup, pickles, and a strange looking omelet; Blake warred with herself. This absurd level of hospitality wasn’t something she had ever experienced before and certainly wasn’t something she expected to receive from someone who knew she was a Faunus. In fact, she felt very exposed at the moment, sitting as she was with her cat ears and secrets fully out in the open. Emiya Shirou was definitely someone she could explicitly trust but she had become so used to deception and lies that having all of them torn away felt so _wrong_ that she had no idea how to deal with it.

    As they ate, Blake tried to figure out just what it was she wanted to do. She hated to impose on Shirou any more than she already had but the idea of bearing it all to a sympathetic ear was certainly very appealing. While there’s no way Shirou could fully understand what the Faunus went through, he had already demonstrated himself to be of a very open mind and compassionate disposition so he would at least be able to sympathize and probably wouldn’t judge her.

    After they finished eating, Shirou collected their dishes and returned to the kitchen to clean up. “Feel free to use the shower. The bathroom is opposite my room. I’d prepare the bath for you but it’s just a shower. A clean towel and sponge are sitting on the sink.”

    “Oh. Uh… Th-thanks. I think I’ll do that,” Blake said almost absently as she both contemplated her future actions and continued to be amazed at the hospitality.

    “I’ll lay your clothes out on my bed once they’re done. Sadly, there’s nothing I can really do about your undergarments so you’ll have to make due with the ones you’re currently wearing.”

    “That’s fine. Th-thanks again, Shirou.”

    “Again, it’s no problem.”

OoOoOoO

    While Blake got dressed after her shower, she contemplated one of the conclusions she had reached during it. There was something about Shirou’s apartment that had been nagging at her ever since she set foot in it and that nagging feeling had only been exacerbated by his insane hospitality. The discovery of both a hair towel and hair dryer that he’d have no reason to own only cemented the discovery.

    Emiya Shirou did not care about his own wellbeing.

    There was absolutely nothing not strictly necessary in the apartment outside of the kitchen. No decorations, no special furniture, no television or radio, no works of fiction, no board games, nothing. The furniture he _did_ have was so bland as to be virtually nondescript and the layout was purely pragmatic; favoring function over form.

    Now, given what she knew of his history, it might be safe to assume that Shirou simply didn’t own many personal items and what he _did_ own was in his room at Beacon but Blake had been inside his room on more than one occasion for study sessions. She knew that his room there was just as scarcely furnished as his room here. Aside from his clothing, weapons, and Scroll; he _had_ no personal effects.

    Emiya Shirou was a man who would go out of his way to ensure the comfort and wellbeing of others but spared no thought for himself in regards to such matters. Even in the short time she had known him, Blake had countless memories of him doing things for others but couldn’t think of a single instance of him doing something for himself aside from telling her his past but, even then, she wondered. He had never even so much as asked for help with schoolwork. Even his outing with Coco and Velvet seemed to have been done purely because Coco had practically forced him.

    No matter how much she thought about it, this fact made no sense to Blake. Did Shirou deny himself everything because he had lost everything twice? Did he fear losing everything again? But how does that explain him being so unusually willing to help others and be seemingly unwilling to ask for help in return? Then again, could she ever really understand someone who had gone through what he had? She had never gone through anything like that herself, after all, and if he could never fully understand what she went through due to their differences, what made her think she could ever fully understand what he went through?

    Assuming that she could understand him was certainly the height of hubris.

    Accepting that fact, Blake resolved herself. She would continue to impose on Shirou by revealing her burdens fully to him but she would also remain vigilant. If it ever looked like he needed help with anything, no matter what it was, she would offer him her help. No, she would _insist_ that she help him since there was no doubt in her mind that he would refuse any offer.

    It was the least she could do for such a wonderful friend.

OoOoOoO

    Blake sat down on the small couch in Shirou’s apartment, a fresh cup of coffee in her hand. Across from her, in a simple chair, sat Shirou who was flipping through his herbology textbook. She knew that he wouldn’t say or ask anything and would gladly sit through any amount of awkward silence to ensure that she only spoke when she wanted. Blake admired him for that and decided to get it over with.

    “I’ve been a member of the White Fang for nearly all of my life,” Blake began suddenly. Shirou looked up at her before shutting his book and setting it aside, giving her his undivided attention. “You could almost say I was born into it. Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there. I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist.

    “Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down and a new one took his place. A new leader with a new way of thinking. Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect… out of fear.

    “So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am; a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow."

    Shirou and Blake sat in silence for a moment before Shirou nodded. “I see. Just to be clear, I am familiar with the history of the White Fang. As such, I’m pretty sure I know who your parents are and thus can guess how that impacted your later decisions.” Blake nodded slowly, not terribly surprised. “Now, I won’t say that you’re not a criminal or anything like that. Actions you’ve taken as a member of the White Fang after Sienna Khan took over hurt a lot of people; directly and indirectly. Those are the sins you bear and no one in this world can free you from them. Only you have the power to do that.”

    Blake’s cat ears drooped as she stared into her coffee, “I know.”

    “That being said, I can tell that you’re trying to atone for them. That’s one of the reasons you want to be a Huntress, right?”

    “That’s right. I’m also hoping that, if I become famous, I can do something for the Faunus as a whole.”

    Shirou nodded, “An admirable goal. Of course, you _do_ realize that becoming a Huntress will mean that you’ll end up fighting the White Fang, right? So long as they remain a terrorist organization, you will be called to fight them.”

    “I know. I don’t like it but I’ll be ready to do what needs to be done when the time comes.”

    “Let’s hope you are. I take it you haven’t told any of this to your teammates?”

    “No, I haven’t. Not directly, anyway. Last night, while I was arguing with Weiss, I implied that I was a Faunus and a member, though.”

    “How did they react?”

    “I don’t know. I ran before they really could.”

    Shirou hummed, “I’d suggest that you return to them and explain everything but the choice is yours.”

    Blake was silent for a long while, lost in thought. “I still don’t believe that the White Fang is behind all of these thefts. They’ve never needed this much Dust before.”

    “So you want to look into it? Find out one way or the other?”

    “Yes, but I don’t really know how to go about doing that.” At her words, Shirou pulled out his Scroll and began working on it. “What are you doing?”

    “The docking and departure schedules for ships is a matter of public record. All I need to do is check the records to see if any ships from Dust companies are either currently at port or are about to make port. While it’s impossible to say if our thief will target something that large, staking out a cargo ship is a lot easier than trying to stake out every Dust shop in Vale. Ah, here we go. A freighter from the Schnee Dust Company is going to be making port at Dock 113 this Monday.”

    “So, if they’re going to make a move, it’ll be then. Alright. I’m going to wait and stake the place out Monday night and see if anything happens.”

    “Very well. Then I’ll help you.”

    “No, you really shouldn’t. You shouldn’t miss a day of school because of me.”

    “Blake, a single day of school won’t matter. Besides, if someone _does_ show up to steal it, they’ll need to be stopped no matter who they are and that’ll be a lot easier with the two of us. This is especially true if the White Fang really is behind it.”

    Blake gave Shirou an indecipherable look for a long moment before relenting. “If you insist. Thanks, Shirou.”

    “You really should stop thanking me so much. This really is no trouble at all.”

OoOoOoO

    The City of Vale was a shining example of mankind’s prowess. Every kind of shop imaginable could be found, any type of food you’d ever want was yours, all kinds of entertainment was at the disposal of its residents, and the citizens enjoyed a great degree of safety thanks to not only Vale’s military but also the presence of Beacon Academy not that far away and a number of lesser academies that dotted the area.

    That being said, it was also a sprawling maze filled to the brim with people so trying to find one specific person there was a lot like finding a needle in a haystack. As if that wasn’t enough, the ever approaching Vytal Festival meant that even more people were here than usual. All of this meant that, even after twelve hours of searching, Team JNPR and the remains of Team RWBY were no closer to finding Blake than they had been when they started. They had even gone so far as to split into two-man teams (with Yang going off on her own) to expedite the process.

    This was how one Ruby Rose found herself in a park in Vale’s residential district, taking a break with her partner, Weiss. They had been scouring the residential district for the past four hours and both girls were fairly exhausted. They had even gone so far as to use their Semblances but that only succeeded in tiring them out even further. They still had time to check a couple more streets before they’d have to head back to the airship port to meet up with the others but Ruby had another idea in mind.

    There had been a couple of occasions where Ruby had the chance to speak privately with her partner but the simple fact of the matter was that she had no idea where to begin. Weiss had been quiet and distant the entire day, only putting enough effort in so she wouldn’t fall behind, and anything she _did_ say was done in as few words as possible. Now, however, was different. Weiss no longer looked closed off, she just seemed distracted and sitting as she was on the bench, bathed in the soft light of the setting sun, Ruby felt a hitherto unknown courage well up inside her.

    “Hey, Weiss, are you okay?” Ruby asked gently.

    “Of course. I’m perfectly fine,” Weiss replied as she tried to close herself off again. Ruby, however, was having none of that and gave her partner a flat, knowing look until Weiss caved and sighed irritably. “Well, maybe not perfectly but I _am_ fine.”

    “But you’ve been really quiet all day and it’s like you’re not even trying to find Blake.”

    “I apologize if my recent behavior offended you. I’ve just had a lot on my mind today and have been doing a lot of thinking.”

    “About what?”

    “About—” Weiss made a pained expression as she warred with herself for a moment, “About Blake.”

    “Because she hid that she was a Faunus from us?”

    “A little, maybe, but it’s the other thing that bothers me more.”

    “Do you want to talk about it?"

    “Not really but you’ll pester me until I do, won’t you?”

    “Yep!”

    “You remember what I told her last night? About my upbringing? It’s just that… the White Fang has always been like a boogeyman to me. A monster in my closet waiting to get me as I sleep. Except mine was real. There really were people out there who wanted me dead and no amount of night lights would stop them. Learning that a teammate, someone who’s lived with me for months now, is one of them is just… I don’t know how I should feel about that.”

    “I don’t think Blake would hurt you, Weiss.”

    “I don’t _want_ to think that but… I’m not so certain.”

    It seemed as if Weiss had said her peace but, in a rare moment of insight, Ruby could tell that her partner was still holding back. “There’s something else bothering you,” she said.

    Weiss opened and closed her mouth a few times before sighing deeply, her shoulders slumping slightly as she fell out of her usual almost regal pose. “What’s bothering me is that I don’t understand _why_ it’s bothering me. So a member of my team is also a member of the White Fang. So what? I should be glad. I can out another member of that group, the authorities can probably get more information on the White Fang out of her, and I get elevated in the eyes of my father. If we managed to find Blake, everything works out in my favor and yet… a part of me doesn’t _want_ to find Blake. A part of me hopes that, if she really is working with the White Fang, that she just vanishes from my life completely so that way I don’t _have_ to bring her in.”

    “You’re worried about her.”

    “I know I am but I shouldn’t be. All my life, I was taught that I had to place myself and my own goals first in order to be strong. The people around me exist only to be used to further myself because, in the end, that’s the only thing in this world that matters. I should be able to just hunt her down and turn her in. It’s what Father would say I should do.”

    “Then why can’t you?”

    “Because… Because… I just can’t. She’s— Blake’s my teammate and I’ve been working with her for months now and I just can’t. She’s— I can’t— It’s just—” Weiss clenched her eyes shut even as she squeezed the hem of her skirt so hard her knuckles turned white. Every muscle in her body was visibly tense, almost to the point of making her shake, as she tried to fight through the confusing hurricane of emotions she was currently feeling. Concerned, Ruby tentatively reached out to place a hand on her friend’s back but stopped when Weiss suddenly spoke.

    “She’s my friend, Ruby,” Weiss said in a small voice as tears started to fall from her eyes. “She’s my friend and I can’t hurt her any more than I already have. Because I was so stupid and shortsighted, I hurt Blake and made her run away and wander a foreign city completely alone. If I find her, I don’t know what I’ll say. I might just lash out without thinking and hurt her more. I don’t want to do that but I don’t want things to stay as they are now. What could I possibly say to her to make things better?”

    “You could say ‘I’m sorry.’”

    “It’s not that simple, Ruby.”

    “It might be. How hard this is is up to you and her. Sometimes, two little words are all it takes.”

    Weiss fell silent as she stared down at her lap, her breathing ragged as she tried to stop her tears. Seeing the partner that she so admired in such duress made Ruby’s heart ache with sympathy so she did the first thing that came to mind. Without any hesitation, Ruby reached out and enveloped Weiss in a hug.

    “It’s okay to be worried about your friends, Weiss. It doesn’t make you weak, it just shows that you care about them,” Ruby said gently as she felt Weiss stiffen in her arms. A second passed with Weiss completely motionless and Ruby was just starting to wonder if she had made a mistake when the other girl suddenly relaxed and returned the hug was near bone-crushing force. Ruby held Weiss and gently stroked her hair as her partner’s tears of frustration finally fell freely.

    Ruby didn’t know how long they sat like that but she didn’t care. Eventually, Weiss finally calmed down and gently pushed herself away from her partner. She sniffed and wiped at her puffy eyes before smiling at Ruby and giving her a playful shove.

    “You force me to talk to you, make me cry, and then have the gall to hold me. You’re such a manipulative dolt,” Weiss said, the fondness of her voice taking the sting out of her words.

    Ruby smiled back, “Well, at least I was the only one around to see it.”

    “I’d say that’s bad enough on its own. Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time here. We should head back to the port,” Weiss said as she got up and started to walk away. Ruby smiled at her partner for a moment before following her, glad to see that the weight that had been on her all day was gone.

OoOoOoO

    Sunday morning came to find Shirou and Blake sitting in the former’s apartment, a shogi board laid out on the table between them as the news played in the background. Saturday had been spent simply enough with the two mostly keeping to themselves with their reading and occasionally making small talk but that night had been a bit more interesting. Blake adamantly refused to go to sleep wearing Shirou’s clothing again so a trip to the store was required. While they were out, Shirou just so happened to spy a shogi set and decided to purchase it on a whim. While he wasn’t much for board games— or anything that didn’t relate to cooking or achieving his goal— his father had a passion for the game and had practically forced Shirou to play against him countless times. The nostalgic feeling the game gave him aside, Shirou also figured that having some other form of entertainment for Blake would be good and, given her personality, he figured that she would enjoy it. While Blake had never played shogi before, she was willing to try it out. After that, the remainder of the night had been spent with Shirou teaching her the rules of the game and now, after breakfast, they were finally having their first real game.

    Despite Shirou’s years of experience, the game was relatively evenly matched. While Shirou had never been as good as Kiritsugu, he had been fairly good at the game but the fact that he hadn’t touched it since Kiritsugu's death left him more than a little rusty. On Blake’s end, while she had never played shogi before, she certainly possessed the mindset and base skills needed to be good at it and was picking up on some of the game’s subtleties quickly. As such, Shirou was still in a position to win but Blake had been making it a decent challenge.

    As the game went on, Shirou’s Scroll droned in the background, today’s weather forecast currently being displayed. It had been turned on largely to have some background noise during breakfast but it finally caught Shirou’s attention when the news came on.

    “Our top story today: A Faunus man was shot to death by police in Vale’s industrial district late last night. Sources say that Emeric Marcel, who worked as an Assistant Manager for Valian Power Ltd., was on his way to a nearby twenty-four-hour cafe while pulling an all-nighter when police approached him.” Wary of his current company, Shirou reached for the Scroll to turn it off only to be surprised when Blake stopped him.

    “I appreciate the sentiment but I can’t ignore these things just because they’re uncomfortable. Vale may be the most progressive kingdom on Remnant in terms of Faunus rights but that doesn’t mean I can turn a blind eye to things like this,” she said, her tone deathly serious. Shirou nodded and turned the volume up a little.

    “—and was shot nine times while attempting to surrender,” the reporter said. “When asked for comment, Vale’s Chief of Police, Sheldon Flash, said that the officers’ conduct was well within the code but that they would be placed on the standard one-month probation while her psychiatric profile is evaluated.”

    Shirou scowled at the screen while Blake looked despondent. What remained of Shirou’s ideals cried out at such a grave injustice but he ruthlessly quelled that voice before giving Blake a concerned look. Without her bow on, it was easy to read her emotional state from the way her cat ears drooped so low as to nearly be flush with her scalp. When Blake noticed his look, she spoke in a not-quite-monotone. “Honestly, that’s far from the worst thing to happen to one of my people in recent years.”

    Despite this line of conversation making them both uncomfortable, it was something that Shirou knew he couldn’t look away from. “I have to admit that I’m regrettably in the dark about that. My knowledge of any specific events ends after the Faunus Rights Revolution. I don’t even know what caused the White Fang to form.”

    “That’s not surprising,” Blake said with a sigh. “It’s not your fault, either. Most history books rarely mention us after that. The White Fang was started by my parents nearly forty years ago to try and combat the oppression that was still going on. There wasn’t any big event that started it; my parents and a few of their friends simply got a big idea in their heads and got to work. Like I said before, it started out as a peaceful organization that staged rallies, protests, and boycotts to try and change things. While it wasn’t without its success, most companies and governments opted to ignore us completely with some even trying to vilify us.”

    “If they were supposed to be a peaceful organization then why that name?” Shirou asked as Blake paused to take a drink. “‘White Fang’ isn’t really something that sounds peaceful to me.”

    “A lot of animals have fangs, Shirou, even Humans. That doesn’t make them evil, though. It’s something they’re born with, something that’s a part of them, something they can’t change. A fang is only dangerous when it’s used to fight just as we’re only dangerous if we’re forced to be; the same as anyone else. The color was chosen because of what it represents.”

    “I suppose that makes—”

    “It was also Dad’s idea. The others pointed out the problem with it but he was _very_ insistent.”

    “I see.”

    “Anyway, things started to go downhill about five years ago. More and more of the White Fang were turning to more violent solutions and the younger members weren’t very respectful of my dad, saying that he was too old and too afraid of the Humans to do what needed to be done. Seeing this, my dad decided to step down as the leader and had his student take his place.”

    “I didn’t know that Sienna Khan was a student of your father’s.”

    “Most people don’t, even inside the White Fang. It wasn’t really a secret but it also wasn’t something that was obvious or openly talked about. Dad hoped that Sienna would follow his example and carry on the spirit of the White Fang as the founders intended and that her being younger would make the newer members settle down. What he _didn’t_ expect was for Sienna to betray him and start actively militarizing the White Fang. After that betrayal, my parents left the White Fang and exiled themselves to Menagerie.”

    “What made you decide to stay?”

    “I… agreed with Sienna and the others. Like I said, answering bigotry with violence was actually working. Aside from that, there was… another member that I was… in a relationship with. I wanted to stay by his side and make a world for the Faunus with him.”

    “What finally made you leave?”

    “A number of things. The biggest was when a mission took me through a small town near the edge of Vale’s territory. In our efforts to weaken Vale and get them to pay attention to us, we ended up cutting their supply lines. Their supplies were running low, they weren’t set up enough to be self-sufficient, and it would take too long for them to get support from the nearest settlement. Everyone there had given up. The entire place was filled with death. Even though no one had physically died yet, the death I could feel there was so heavy that it felt like a curse. A curse aimed at the world, at all those who remained living. That village was a place of walking corpses and, by now, they all should be dead in body as well.

    “After that, I started to actually think about things. About the ramifications of our actions. About all of the pain and suffering we were causing to perfectly good, innocent people. Once that village that still haunts my dreams forced open my eyes, I couldn’t stop seeing it. I couldn’t stop seeing it and I couldn’t handle seeing it so I decided to leave. The next chance I got, I abandoned the White Fang and made my way to the City of Vale. You know or can guess the rest.”

    Shirou sat in silence for a long while, his tea forgotten between his hands. It took all of his willpower to not react too severely to Blake’s description of that village but he knew that hiding everything would be impossible. An area smothered by the curse of death, a place filled with the curses of those who are doomed to die, those are places that Emiya Shirou knows all too well and he can likewise understand how seeing such a place can change someone.

    When presented with all of this information, with this history of the White Fang that likely very few people, and even fewer Humans, knew, there was but one statement Shirou could make.

    “Tell me about the Faunus. Tell me what Humans don’t know that we should.”

OoOoOoO

    Ruby, Yang, and Weiss were walking down a randomly chosen street, calling out for their wayward teammate. Sunday had come and gone without any word from Blake or Shirou and it had taken all of Weiss’ powers of persuasion to convince Ruby and Yang to attend at least half their classes on Monday. They had a free period after lunch which gave them an hour-and-a-half to try and hunt down Blake before classes resumed. Of course, Ruby and Yang had no intention of returning if they failed and Weiss had to admit that she’d probably end up staying with them.

    At least she had managed to convince Team JNPR to not skip their classes too.

    Still, after two whole days of fruitless searches, the remainder of Team RWBY was starting to feel more than a little discouraged. It felt like they had covered every inch of Vale yet there wasn’t even a single hint of the possibility of a clue to be found anywhere.

    “Man, we’ve looked everywhere!” Ruby said with a sigh.

    “I’m starting to get a little worried,” Yang added. “I know we’ve got that app and she can take care of herself and she’s probably with Shirou and all that but still.”

    “If Blake doesn’t turn up by tomorrow, I suggest we tell the professors,” Weiss said.

    “I don’t think Blake would like that. Besides, what do we tell them? That Blake told us she was a Faunus and member of the White Fang and then ran away?” Yang asked.

    “Of course not! We tell them that Blake and I had an argument Friday night and we haven’t seen her since. If we don’t tell them, they’re likely to ask us where she is anyway.”

    “I dunno, Weiss. I think that Blake wouldn’t like that very much.”

    “I think that telling them will be our best course of action. Even if Blake doesn’t like it, better that than her getting hurt.”

    “And I think Weiss' hair looks _wonderful_ today!" Penny said from behind Weiss, having somehow snuck up on the group. The three of them screamed and nearly jumped out of their skins before turning on the newcomer.

    “Penny! Where did you come from‽” Ruby asked as she tried to keep her heart from jumping out of her chest.

    Penny smiled in blissful ignorance. "Hey, guys! What are you up to?"

    "We're looking for our friend Blake,” Yang said bluntly as Ruby tried to decide how much to tell.

    "Ooooh, you mean the Faunus girl!" Penny said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

    "Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asked.

    "Uhh, the cat ears?" Penny said as she pointed to her head.

    Yang chuckled, "What cat ears? She wears a... boooohhh..."

    "She does like tuna a lot..." Ruby noted in a whisper.

    “Wait a minute, that doesn’t answer anything! She was wearing a bow! How do you know she has cat ears?” Weiss asked.

    “You mean you didn’t see her bow twitch and move on its own? It seemed like the obvious conclusion.”

    Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all stood in dumb silence at this revelation. All of that time around her and they didn’t notice a thing. What did that say about their observational skills when a total stranger could see Blake for all of five seconds and piece together what she was?

    "So, where is she?" Penny asked.

    "We don't know,” Ruby said dejectedly. “She's been missing since Friday.”

    Penny gasped, "That's terrible! Well, don't you worry, Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate!"

    Ruby did her best to keep smiling even as the strange girl got uncomfortably close, "Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but we're okay! Really! Right, guys?" Ruby looked back to where Yang and Weiss were only to see empty air, her teammates nowhere to be found.

    “Some friends you are.”

OoOoOoO

    “Thanks anyways!” Yang said cheerfully to a shopkeeper they had just talked to as she left the shop. Once outside, she dropped her cheerful facade and sighed deeply. “This is hopeless. Seven people looking everywhere for two whole days couldn’t find her. What makes me think that we’ll have any luck today when there’s only three of us?”

    “Are you okay, Yang?” Weiss asked somewhat awkwardly. Seeing Yang look depressed was new and trying to cheer someone up was absolutely not a thing she’d ever tried to do before. Where was Ruby when she needed her? She was good at these things.

    “Not really. Penny just got me thinking, is all. I’ve known Blake for a bit over two months now but I don’t really know anything about her. I didn’t even notice that she was a Faunus and then along comes someone who’s seen her for all of five seconds and she noticed it right away.”

    “To be fair, none of us noticed it and we honestly don’t know that much about each other. I don’t even know where you all are from.”

    “Yeah, maybe, but it just feels wrong. She seems closer to Shirou than to any of us and that’s fine but we’re supposed to be partners. Partners are supposed to stick together through anything, right?”

    Weiss bit her bottom lip as she carefully chose her words. This was farther outside her comfort zone than talking to Ruby had been but it was clear that Yang needed someone to talk to so she would provide just that. Ruby had set an example and now it was up to her to follow her leader. “I… think… you’re right. Partners _should_ stick together. But we don’t really know each other and… bonds like that… take time to form. I’m certain that she’ll come around once she gets to know you more.”

    “That’s just the thing: I never gave her the chance. I never gave _you_ the chance, either! I just make bad puns and punch things! It’s no wonder that she’d just run away when something bad happened!”

    “Yang, we’ve only known each other for two months. Getting to know someone in such a short period of time is difficult.”

    “No, it’s not! I didn’t even _try_ to get to know her! Just look at you and Ruby! You two have spent a lot of time studying together and working together and I’ve seen you two just talking about whatever sometimes! Look at Jaune and Pyrrha! Look at Ren and Nora! Hell, look at Blake and Shirou! They spent a _lot_ of time together this past week! It’s no wonder she willingly ran away with Shirou but wouldn’t even try to talk to her partner! Why should she when I’ve practically gone out of my way to _avoid_ talking to her!”

    “Yang… I’m really not the right person to be talking about this. I study with Ruby, sure, and we’ve talked about a few things but I don’t really know much about her and she knows even less about me. That aside, I’m really not the best partner, either. Do you remember during our first week when I got really angry? I was angry at Ruby because I was projecting my flaws as a partner onto her. I didn’t understand the first thing about what it meant to be someone’s partner and I’m only learning. But I was given some good advice and I think you could use it, too.”

    “Oh, yeah? What was it?”

    “We can learn a lot from each other. I still don’t really understand what it takes to be a good partner and maybe you don’t quite know either but we can learn a lot from each other and, if we work together, maybe we can figure out how to do that.”

    Yang smiled genuinely for the first time in a while as she slightly chuckled, “You know, Weiss, I think you’re a lot better at this team thing than you think you are. But maybe you’re right. Maybe we _can_ figure this whole mess out together. You and me. You and Ruby. Me and Blake.”

    “Of course we can. But we need to find Blake before we can do that.”

    “You’re right! Well then, let’s get going! I’m pretty sure there are some shops near the residential district that we didn’t hit up.”

    As Yang picked up the pace and walked with more of her usual attitude, Weiss couldn’t help but smile slightly as she went back over her words. Maybe she _could_ actually learn from her team. Maybe, with their help, she wouldn’t have to be a failure forever.

    But if she got stronger by relying on others, what would her father say?

OoOoOoO

    As night started to fall, Blake and Shirou waited patiently on a roof across from Dock 113, Blake wearing her hunter’s attire while Shirou wore a dark gray, long-sleeved shirt and dark blue jeans. They had been there for a few hours now and Shirou was thankful for all of the patience training his father had put him through. Between that and his magecraft training, sitting in one place doing absolutely nothing for several hours didn’t drive him insane. How Blake possessed such skills, Shirou didn’t know and he wasn’t entirely certain that he wanted to know.

    They sat in silence, munching on protein bars Shirou had made earlier (Blake had suggested buying some but Shirou would have none of that and let her know his reason why in a strongly worded, highly detailed lecture) when something finally happened. The wind picked up and bright lights flooded the area as a Bullhead aerial vehicle touched down in the center of the cargo containers. A ramp opened up from the back to reveal what looked to be a young adult wearing a black hooded jacket and a fanged mask.

    “Oh, no….” Blake said softly from her place beside Shirou.

    “I take it that’s them?” Shirou asked. As if to answer his question, the hooded figure turned around and revealed the blood red wolf on their back.

    “Yes. It’s _them_.”

    As the figure started shouting orders, Shirou shifted his focus to Blake. “You wished they weren’t the ones behind it,” he observed.

    “I didn’t but I knew they had to be. Even after everything, it just hurts to see the truth. Especially now,” Blake said as she closed her eyes in sorrow. The movement of her bow indicated that her ears were drooping.

    “Hey! What’s the holdup‽” Blake’s eyes snapped open as she heard a voice that absolutely didn’t belong there. She and Shirou looked down at the docks to see none other than Roman Torchwick standing there like he owned the place. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"

    "This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that,” Blake said as she began to rise.

    “Don’t you remember what I said the other day?” Shirou said, making Blake pause. “Given his knowledge and connections, it makes sense for the White Fang to use him to complete their goals.”

    Blake growled before crouching down, “You’re right. What do you suggest we do?”

    “Regardless of anything else, the fact of the matter is that they’re stealing large quantities of Dust and need to be stopped. Getting the police involved would take too long so we’ll have to stop them ourselves.”

    “There are a number of people isolated enough from the others that they can be taken out without being seen. With my Semblance, I can easily move from cover-to-cover and take them out,” Blake observed.

    Shirou nodded, “Sounds as good a plan as any. While it’s not my specialty, I’m decent enough at stealth that I should be able to take down a few. I can also snipe a few of them from up here.”

    “I’ll take the ones nearest us while you handle the ones farthest away.”

    “Are you ready?” In response, Blake readied Gambol Shroud, keeping the blade safely inside its sheath, and dropped off the roof as Shirou readied his bow.

    Blake stayed in a low crouch as she carefully made her way around the containers and removed her bow to give herself full access to her enhanced hearing. She was thankful that her particular animal traits gave that to her but she also had to be wary as there was no telling if any of the members of the White Fang that were present also possessed enhanced hearing. Regardless, sneaking past them was kitten’s play. Using her power of Shadow, Blake could move in an instant to any spot of her choosing within five meters while leaving behind a doppelganger that would vanish either at will or when struck. As if that weren’t enough of an advantage, she let her mind slip back into her mother’s many lessons and let her body move as silent as a wraith. Even if a Faunus with enhanced hearing were to stand directly in front of her, they wouldn’t hear a thing.

    Blake closed in on her first target who was crouched down to examine one of the latches on a container. Unprepared as he was, he had no defenses in place for when Blake slammed the sheathed Gambol Shroud into the side of his head, knocking his mask askew and him to the ground. Moving quickly, Blake swiped one of his hands away with Gambol Shroud before slamming his head into the ground. She pulled him back up by his hair and brushed aside his cracked mask before striking the bridge of his nose with the butt of her weapon and tossing him beside the container. He groaned quietly but didn’t move.

    Moving on, Blake selected her next target and pressed herself beside the edge of a container. She whistled quietly a few times, ever so slightly raising the volume each time, until the White Fang member noticed and started walking her way. Blake counted other woman’s footsteps and waited until she was in the perfect position before lashing out. Like a flash of dark lightning, Blake rose and rounded the corner, one hand brushing the other woman’s mask aside and covering her mouth while the base of the palm of the other hand struck her gut just below the sternum to force the air from her lungs. Using a combination leg sweep and shoulder throw, Blake then threw her behind the container and onto her back before dropping down on her, her knee hitting square on her solar plexus.

    Blake’s next two targets were tricky. Two White Fang men were standing a fair ways from the rest and well out of sight, complaining about having to work with a Human. She stayed hidden and listened in interest once one of them mentioned _that man_ . It seemed that _he_ had essentially been bought out by some Human woman. Blake filed that information away for later and got to work once the conversation shifted and the kissing started.

    Blake waited for them to part before moving in. She struck one of them in the back of the head with Gambol Shroud, forcing him to headbutt his lover in the nose. Before the other could scream in pain, Blake elbowed him in the mouth to shut him up and then kneed the first in the groin. As he doubled over in pain, Blake kicked at the back of his knees to bring him down before flashing behind the second and sending a snap kick into the back of his head to send him falling forward. Blake flashed back over to beside them and brought up Gambol Shroud in both hands. When their heads were aligned, Blake swung down with all of her might, cracking the second in the back of the head to force him to headbutt the first and then forcing them both to hit the ground.

    While Blake started her assault, Shirou let the hammer in his head fall and changed himself from a Human to a Magus. Simple reinforcement was all that was required to give him near-perfect vision despite the low levels of light and a quick bit of alteration was all it took to round out his arrowheads to make them less lethal. With practiced ease, Shirou loosed arrow after arrow, each one striking true and rendering another member of the White Fang unconscious. Shirou drew his focus to two goons standing off to the side and was about to take them out when Blake appeared and dispatched them with brutal efficiency. He had always thought Blake to be of average skill in combat at best given his observations at Beacon but it seemed that her forte lie not in head-on combat. He tucked that observation away for later and selected another target.

    Even though only a few had been taken out, the others were already starting to get suspicious. After all, when the operation consisted of less than twenty men, the absence of even a few was noticeable. This gave Shirou and Blake the chance to take down a couple more but the others quickly caught on and went on high alert. The White Fang members spread out in groups of three, leaving Roman alone in the center. Seeing an opening, Blake charged forward from her hiding place even as Shirou cursed and loosed an arrow.

    Roman pivoted to the side and effortlessly parried Blake’s attack before bringing the open end of his cane up to her face even as Shirou’s arrow stopped in midair for no apparent reason. “Nighty night, Kitty,” Roman quipped and that gave Blake just enough time to dodge. There was a flash of light from the end of the cane followed by a large explosion, the dust cloud it kicked up obscuring everything from sight. Shirou cursed again and jumped off of the roof, his bow transforming into a sword as he charged into battle.

    Blake rolled to a stop as she fought to keep herself from coughing. Another red light appeared in the dust cloud and Blake quickly threw herself to the side to avoid another one of Roman’s Dust-infused flares, the projectile flying past her to destroy one of the cargo containers. With the remaining members of the White Fang now closing in on her, Blake decided to cut her losses and beat a hasty retreat behind one of the intact containers.

    “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty….” Roman taunted as he slowly advanced on Blake’s position, motioning with his head for the White Fang to flank her. Before he could get too far, however, he was forced to roll forward in order to just barely avoid being hit by Shirou’s sword.

    “Give up!” Shirou said as he readied his weapon. “Most of your men have already been dealt with and my friend can handle the rest! Surrender now and no one else will have to get hurt!”

    Much to Shirou’s dismay, Roman chuckled, “You really think I only came here with thirteen guys? You’re not that bright, are you?” As if on cue, the wind picked up again as two more Bullheads made themselves known. Their hatches opened and more White Fang members jumped from them to quickly surround Shirou.

    Shirou altered his stance and quickly took stock of his enemies, his mind already running through dozens of plans and scenarios. When several of them charged at once, Shirou became a blur of movement as he got to work. He redirected a punch from one of them and simultaneously lashed out with his rear foot to catch another in the chest while blocking a slash from behind with his sword. He then pulled the first one forward as he pushed the third one’s sword away before cracking the first over the head with the butt of his sword and immediately flipping backward to make the third strike the first. Shirou brought his sword down on the man’s shoulder to force him to drop his weapon before pulling him to the side to use as a living shield as two other goons opened fire. Shirou then kicked his shield in the small of his back toward the two firing before lashing out with a sweeping kick and rising slash to take out the guy coming from behind.

    Just as Shirou was about to charge the two gunners, Blake suddenly appeared above them and dropped onto them, Gambol Shroud fully drawn so she could slash down the back of one while striking the main shoulder of the other. A quick strike to the side of the head to the first followed by a spinning sword slash to the base of the neck of the second was enough to break their Auras and put them out of the fight.

    The instant Blake appeared, Shirou turned his attention back to Roman only to see a flare headed straight for him. Even if he had time to dodge, that would put Blake directly in its path and he certainly didn’t have enough time for a projection so Shirou was left with no other choice but to slash the blast out of the air. The instant his blade pierced the shell, it exploded in a blinding flash of light and smoke that got Blake’s attention.

    “He’s mine!” Blake all but growled as she rushed past the stunned Shirou. She came at Roman with a blindingly fast series of strikes, the blade of Gambol Shroud little more than a black-and-red blur she practically danced around the man, her Semblance leaving behind numerous shadow clones as she both avoided counterattacks and struck from different angles. However, no matter how ferociously she attacked, no matter how fast her swings, no matter what angle she approached from, Roman always had an answer and didn’t even seem to be putting up that much effort. To make matters worse, Roman was actually landing hits on her despite what should have been a massive speed advantage.

    Roman finally managed to connect a full hit and send Blake stumbling away but was forced back on the defensive as Shirou charged in. While Shirou lacked Blake’s raw speed only had one weapon, the difference in their skill was obvious as Roman started to show signs of effort and was even forced to give ground. Shirou’s black blade whirled he shattered Roman’s guard, the finely dressed criminal stunned for the precious moment it took for Blake rush in like a whirlwind to strike him across the chest with both parts of Gambol Shroud at once. Roman was sent flying backward from the impact but he quickly rolled with his landing and splayed his legs out, his feet and fingertips sliding across the concrete to slow him down even as his cane snapped up and fired at some point above Shirou and Blake’s heads. The two looked up just in time to see the flare collide with the hook of a crane holding up a shipping container before barely moving out of the way in time to avoid being flattened by it; Blake dodging backward towards the remaining White Fang members while Shirou rolled forward.

    Shirou came out of his roll only to see the end of Roman’s cane pointed right in his face but he was spared from having to experience a point-blank explosion when a shot rang out and Roman’s cane was knocked away.

OoOoOoO

    Ruby sighed as she put away her Scroll. She was already out way later than they had planned but even that extra bit of effort had proved fruitless. Even the extra pair of eyes that Penny provided wasn’t enough. While she hated the idea of giving up, she was starting to think that Weiss had the right idea and that they needed to tell the professors in the morning.

    Just as Ruby was about to go back, an explosion from the docks caught her attention. As black smoke drifted in the sky, she thought back to her encounter with Roman all those months ago.

    “Oh, no….” Ruby said quietly before signaling for her jet locker and taking off at top speed, a trail of rose petals in her wake. She shot down the deserted streets and back alleys, thankful that the past few days of searching had practically seared the map of Vale into her head, before skidding to a halt at a precise point behind one of the buildings overlooking the docks. Nearly the instant she stopped, her locker crashed into the ground not two meters away from her. She had Crescent Rose out in a flash and scaled the building in a single leap, reaching the far edge not a heartbeat later. She looked down at the scene and saw Roman hovering over Shirou, the business end of his cane pointed right in her friend’s face.

    Without hesitation, almost without even aiming, Ruby brought up Crescent Rose and fired, the shot hitting the end of Roman’s cane and knocking it away.

    “Hey!” Ruby called out as she twirled Crescent Rose and readied it in its scythe form.

    Roman looked up at her in surprised recognition. "Well, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" he said condescendingly as he took his attention fully off of Shirou. Not one to miss an opening, Shirou immediately lashed out with his sword which Roman quickly backpedaled to dodge.

    "Ruby, are these people your friends?" Penny said from behind Ruby. Shocked, Ruby turned to look at her.

    "Penny, get back!"

    Also not one to miss an opening, Roman quickly took aim and fired at Ruby with a snarl before returning his attention to Shirou. Up on the rooftop, Ruby’s eyes suddenly widened as her instincts screamed at her. She quickly spun around an lashed out with Crescent Rose only to have to brace the weapon with her right hand as the sudden explosion made her slide backward.

    Ruby growled as she glared at Roman. “Stay here, Penny! It’s too dangerous for you!”

    “But wait, Ruby, I’m—” Ruby didn’t hear whatever else Penny was about to say as she hurled herself from the roof and dove straight for Roman. Roman sidestepped to avoid Ruby’s charge and then brought his cane up to block Shirou’s attack. Ruby rolled and slid to a stop before rushing forward in another burst of speed. With a growl, Roman pushed Shirou away and flipped over Ruby’s swing but that left him totally helpless as Shirou shoulder checked him once he hit the ground and followed up by slamming the hilt of his sword underneath his jaw and finishing with a rising slash that knocked him away.

    Seeing the opening, Ruby rushed forward again and hooked Crescent Rose’s blade around Roman, using him as a fulcrum to circle him, the blade sparking as it cut into his Aura, before firing off a shot that made Roman crash to the ground with a yelp. Shirou immediately followed up with a jumping downward stab aimed at Roman’s side but the criminal managed to roll away in time to avoid it before springing to his feet.

    “I know you like to see me get my ass kicked but a little help would be appreciated, Neo!” Roman called out to seemingly no one. Ruby and Shirou readied their weapons to attack again but Ruby was forced to change her plans when Shirou got blasted away by thin air. The air shimmered and shattered to reveal a short girl of indeterminate age. Her hair was half-brown, half-pink with the pink side having a shock of white and her eyes were heterochromatic; one being pink and the other brown. She was also even more finely dressed than Roman with a white jacket with a pink interior, brown pants, black gloves, and black and white knee-length boots with very high heels. She even wore a brown corset under her jacket that left a small portion of her hips exposed and numerous necklaces. To top it all off, she was also carrying a light umbrella which, judging from the way it was extended in the direction Shirou had been sent flying, she used as a weapon.

    “Two versus two. A bit more fair, then,” Ruby commented idly as she drummed her fingers on Crescent Rose’s shaft. She wanted to check on Shirou but taking her eyes off of the threat before her would be a really bad idea. Roman chuckled and dusted himself off before bringing his cane up to bear while Neo flourished her umbrella and smirked. Ruby was just starting to contemplate her options when an arrow whizzed by her ear. Neo thrust out and opened her umbrella to stop the projectile only to get blown back when it exploded on impact. Shirou quickly came charging back, his weapon turning back into a sword, and Ruby immediately followed suit.

    Ruby and Neo clashed while Shirou and Roman resumed their duel. Crescent Rose was a blur of motion as Ruby spun it around and slashed at Neo from various angles but her opponent was far too agile and skilled, ducking and dodging under the strikes that she could while almost casually redirecting those she couldn’t with her umbrella. Not even her scythe’s deceptive range or the fact that its curved blade let her strike from odd angles were helping. Then Neo started to press the attack and Ruby found herself powerless. No matter how she changed up her attacks, Neo was finding all of the holes in her defenses and was constantly striking at them. Eventually, the damage built up and Ruby’s energy wavered enough for a more decisive blow to be dealt. Neo brushed away a sloppy overhead strike before countering with a deep thrust to Ruby’s exposed chest, the umbrella bursting open as the attack landed to send Ruby flying away.

    Over with Shirou, he was finding Roman to still be a tough opponent even after the sustained damage. While far from the most difficult fight he’d ever been in, he found his current skills with this weapon to be insufficient. While he _might_ be able to defeat Roman at this rate, the effort would exhaust him and the odds were against him even without factoring in Neo. Still, he continued on with the duel and contemplated his options while also keeping tabs on Neo and Ruby. When he saw Neo go in for a big attack, he disengaged from Roman and went to strike at Neo’s open defenses but not only was he too slow to stop the attack, Neo was far more skilled than expected as she fell into a backward somersault to avoid Shirou’s attack. Shirou grit his teeth in annoyance and quickly spun around to block Roman’s attack only to be defenseless as Neo struck him in the side with her umbrella. This allowed Roman to completely break Shirou’s guard and whack him across the face before Neo hit him in the stomach. Shirou doubled over and looked up to see the end of Roman’s cane back in his face, the criminal taking just a slight moment to smirk, before Shirou’s world exploded.

    Ruby rolled to get her feet back underneath her and skidded to a stop in a three-point stance with Crescent Rose held behind her. She looked up just in time to see Shirou get blasted in the face and get sent flying toward her. She tried her best to catch her friend but it was a lost cause as the redhead crashed into her and sent them both tumbling.

    “Are you okay, Shirou?” Ruby groaned at as she picked herself up.

    “I’m fine. You?” Shirou said as he did the same.

    “Never better!” Ruby said tiredly. “Man, these guys are tough. I’m gonna—”

    “Ruby,” Shirou cut her off as he sheathed his sword and took a couple of steps forward. “I need you to go up high and provide supporting fire.”

    “But why?” Ruby asked as she looked at her friend as if he had gone insane.

    “Because, no offense to you, you’d just get in my way.”

    Ruby’s indignant response was ended before it began as two curved short swords suddenly appeared in his hands. They were twin swords, almost perfectly alike in shape and quality, but it was easy to tell them apart. The one in his left hand was as black a night with a red hexagonal pattern and white triangle going partway down the middle while the one in his right hand was a pure white with a wave pattern and a black triangle. In the center of both where the blade met the hilt was a taijitu that extended past the blade and on to the dark wooden hilt that was wrapped in black cloth. They were undeniably beautiful swords that, to Ruby, seemed to lack any will of their own. She found herself strangely captivated by these swords that appeared as if by magic but she only had a heartbeat to admire them before Shirou surged forward at speeds far greater than he had previously demonstrated.

(A/N: Play ["A Stranger I Remain" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1CrYMEQk18).)

    Ruby watched in stunned awe as Shirou fought like a demon, his abilities far greater than any she had seen since coming to Beacon. His strikes were lighting fast and made with pinpoint accuracy and yet his movements contained such a fluid grace that it came off as almost effortless. When Shirou brought up his swords in a cross guard to block one of Roman’s flares, the explosion making him skid back slightly, he gave her a sharp look that shook her out of her stupor. Her friend, despite the incredible skill he had been hiding, still needed her help and so her help he would get. Picking a good vantage point, Ruby leaped into the air and transformed Crescent Rose into its gun form before taking aim, waiting for the perfect shot.

    Shirou grunted as he pushed forward through the cloud of smoke. The sum total of Archer’s experience combined with Shirou’s own was enough to level the playing field but only just. Archer had never fought anything quite like what could found on Remnant, after all, so Shirou found himself having to try to make up the difference with his own skills. He also hated having to make such an obvious projection right in front of Ruby but that was a headache he could deal with later. As it stood, Ruby was likely to be seriously injured if he had continued to fight with just his own skill and that was unacceptable.

    Shirou parried Neo’s attack with Kanshou and broke Roman’s guard with Bakuya before lashing out with a roundhouse kick that caught Roman square in the ear and following up with a crescent kick that caught Neo in the jaw. He pressed his advantage and unleashed a combo of slashes on the stunned Roman. Neo came at him from behind with a swipe of her umbrella but Shirou seamlessly transitioned his horizontal slash to a lateral jumping spin to avoid it before bringing both of his blades down on her shoulders. Neo’s knees buckled as a shockwave passed through her to kick up the dust on the ground but she managed to stand firm and even trapped Shirou’s swords by laying her umbrella across them and grabbing the other end, keeping them firmly pressed against her with a pained smirk.

    As Neo did this, Shirou became aware of Roman approaching from behind but his attack was stopped short when a gunshot rang out he staggered backward from the impact. Neo tried to take advantage of Shirou’s apparent lapse in attention by kicking him in the groin but Shirou easily brought up his leg to block it before doing the one thing that no warrior in their right mind would do in the middle of combat: He let go of his weapons.

    Now weaponless, Shirou disengaged from the stunned Neo and rounded on Roman. He brushed aside the criminal’s cane before socking him square in the jaw with a right hook. Neo regained her composure and tried to throw away Shirou’s swords but was shocked once again as they faded away only to reappear in the redhead’s hands. Neo hastily backpedaled as she blocked Shirou’s combo and narrowed her eyes into a glare as she finally found a flaw in his defenses. She took a half-step back and thrust her umbrella forward and was pleased when Shirou didn’t parry as her reach was just short of actually hitting him. Then she hit the release and Shirou’s guard was shattered as the umbrella snapped open and Shirou’s arms were flung to the sides. The umbrella closed as she quickly drew it back and struck Shirou in the gut with a lunging thrust before striking him under the jaw with a rising swipe. She was about to follow up when she abruptly spun around and popped open her umbrella to block a shot from Ruby who growled and changed locations.

    As this was happening, Roman recovered and struck the open Shirou in the side with his cane. Shirou coughed out spittle from the blow but pushed past the pain to trap Roman’s cane under his arm and elbow him in the face. As Roman staggered backward, Shirou hurled Kanshou at him, the blade a blur of black as it spun, but Roman had enough mobility to dodge out of the way and actually smirked again.

    “Bad move, kid,” Roman said menacingly as he charged back in. Shirou and Roman resumed their deadly dance from earlier as Shirou tightened his grip on Bakuya and brought his free hand up in a guard stance. While Shirou’s fighting style was completely different from before and his physical abilities were similarly increased, Roman was still managing to hold his own now that Shirou only had one sword. When Neo re-entered the fray, it seems that the tables had once again turned against Shirou even with Ruby’s occasional shot.

    Ruby was wondering just what Shirou had been thinking and was considering going back into melee anyway when she noticed that Shirou was taking great pains to keep Roman with his back toward the water while also keeping himself between the criminal and Neo. She was curious as to what the purpose of that was when she caught sight of something impossible. Shirou’s black sword that he had thrown was somehow now hurtling back towards him at a speed far greater than it had been thrown. While the blade had been a blur before, it now looked more like a solid disc. She had no idea how he was doing that but at least now his actions made sense. Unfortunately, Roman seemed to have heard the blade’s approach for his eyes widened even as he quickly ducked out of the way. It seemed that Shirou had predicted that, however, as he had taken a long step away from the criminal once his shock was evident and extended his empty hand behind him even as he knocked aside Neo’s umbrella. Kanshou’s hilt collided perfectly with Shirou’s waiting palm in a reverse grip and he brought it down in a powerful slash before kicking Roman under the chin with his back leg. Both of them staggered back and Roman rubbed his jaw while Neo looked in shock where the sword had actually pierced her Aura enough to cut her jacket.

    “For fuck’s sake, Neo, use your godsdammed Semblance!” Roman snarled before Neo faded from view. Shirou quickly lept towards Roman with a double vertical slash but he had to bit back a curse as Roman and the air around him shattered like glass.

    Shirou twirled his swords as he took a couple steps back and got into the best guard stance he could under the circumstances. They could easily take this chance to flee but his instincts told him that he wouldn’t be so lucky. His instincts proved to be correct as something struck him in the back of the head. He quickly rolled forward but that proved insufficient as something else clipped his side and turned his roll into a tumble. Shirou quickly got back to his feet and closed his eyes, focusing on his other senses to try and suss out what they were doing. While he could still smell them, the problem with that ability is that it’s terrible at tracking moving targets, especially when those targets seemed to be circling him. Still, between it and his other senses, he managed to tell where the next strike was coming from and attempted to parry it. He was partially successful in that it didn’t hit his head but the strike still connected with his forearm.

    Up in her perch, Ruby growled as she watched Shirou get battered left and right by his invisible opponents. It seemed that he had some vague idea where they were but it was only helping a little bit and it would probably only be a matter of time before Shirou’s Aura broke. As Ruby pondered what to do, she was suddenly hit by inspiration and looked down her scope before switching from daylight to thermal. She couldn’t help the pleased chuckle that escaped as Roman and Neo were once again clearly in her sights. She took aim, pulled the trigger, and even more pleased with the results.

    Back on the ground, Shirou was panting and was beginning to wonder if projecting Hrunting was a good idea when the air suddenly shattered to his right and Roman came staggering into view. While he wasn’t entirely sure how Ruby did this, he wasn’t about to question it so he lashed out with Bakuya and sliced Roman across the chest before he disappeared again. Shirou just barely had time to get back into his guard when another shot rang out and the air shattered behind him, Neo coming into view this time. On and one this went with Ruby shooting one of them to reveal their position and let Shirou get a hit or two off and Blake, who had just finished dealing with the last of the White Fang, could only look on in awe as it appeared for all the world as if reality was breaking around Shirou.

    Eventually, Roman ignored Shirou and aimed at Ruby. “Go to bed, Red!” he shouted as he fired a flare toward her. Ruby instinctually fired at it only to realize her mistake just as the trigger clicked. The bullet collided with the flare in midair causing the flare to explode. Such an intense heat appearing so close to her burned the eye that had been looking through the thermal scope. Ruby jerked her head back and screamed, her right hand covering the injured eye while her good eye clenched shut.

    “Ruby!” Shirou cried out, completely distracted and thus unable to defend himself as Neo reappeared and laid into him with a combo. She ended it with another deep thrust to his chest that sent him skidding away painfully on his back.

     As Shirou struggled to his feet, Roman, despite his battered and ruffled appearance, actually started laughing as more Bullheads came in and shone their spotlight on them.

    “Looks like it’s game over, kid!” Roman called out over the noise of the jets. “Maybe you won’t fuck with a criminal organization in your next life!”

    Time slowed down as Shirou, Ruby, and Blake looked on in fear. One of the Bullheads was revving up its gatling gun and it was aimed straight at Shirou. Even with her Semblance, Blake was too far away to get to him in time while Ruby still too stunned to fully move. Shirou dismissed Kanshou and Bakuya and started raising his right hand. It would be _really_ hard to explain but dying here was absolutely not an option. “Rho—” The choice was taken away from him when a beige blur slammed into his side, knocking him out of the path of the gatling gun.

    “P-Penny?” Shirou said, winded and stunned by the impact. Penny smiled down at him before getting up with a look of determination on her face.

    “Don’t worry, Shirou. I’m combat ready.” As Penny stepped forward, her backpack folded open and a large, green blade floated out of it. At first, Shirou watched with mild curiosity as the blade split into six but his jaw quickly hit the floor when information started pouring into his mind thanks to Unlimited Blade Works reproducing it. He had always known that Remnant’s technology was a little crazy but to be able to truly create life, to create a gynoid and give it a soul, was technology approaching the level of advanced Thaumaturgy. The ability to basically create a homunculus that, as far as Shirou could tell, was more stable than anything the Einzberns had produced was simply incredible.

    Thankfully, Shirou’s reaction wasn’t strange since Blake and Ruby had similar expressions as they watched Penny’s blades fold in on themselves and start rotating in a large, vertical circle in front of her. Penny poured her Aura into the blades as she drew back her fists and everyone watched as a bright, green orb started to manifest in the circle’s center. Once her arms were fully drawn back and the orb was nearly the size of the circle, she punched the air and the orb turned into a massive beam of energy that sliced through Bullheads like a hot knife through butter.

    Penny looked to her left as one of the first Bullheads started to take to the air with an entire cargo container. She quickly sent two of her remote blades into the nearby building to anchor herself before sending the rest into the Bullhead’s side. With noticeable effort, Penny started to pull back on the wires that connected her swords to herself and, much to the shock and awe of everyone, actually started to pull the Bullhead back down. With one last pull and a scream of effort, Penny nearly slammed the aircraft into a large stack of cargo containers causing the aircraft to somehow explode on impact.

    As Roman watched from the safety of the last remaining Bullhead that was currently leaving the area as quickly as possible, he could only say one thing: "These kids just keep getting weirder…”

(A/N: End song.)

OoOoOoO

    Ruby, Blake (who had reclaimed her bow), Penny, and Shirou were sitting in silence on some boxes. After Penny’s display, it took a bit for everyone to recover but, once they had, Ruby practically threw herself at Blake and Shirou. What followed was a hastily constructed explanation from the two of them about what had happened since Friday night and a lot of hugging and relieved crying from Ruby. After Ruby had calmed down, it was Penny’s turn to be interrogated by Ruby and Blake while Shirou observed in silence. Penny’s explanations were, for the most part, completely true but it was clear to Shirou how Penny was very carefully skirting around the true nature of his existence and he fully understood why even without General Ironwood’s orders.

    It was shortly after the explanations that the police finally decided to show up. That, naturally, led to the four of them being detained and having to explain everything all over again (although with some personal details left out this time). When everyone’s status as students was verified (Penny was registered as a student of Atlas Academy), they were let off with a warning and roundabout congratulations at stopping the largest Dust robbery in recent history.

    The four of them had only been sitting down for a few minutes when Weiss and Yang showed up. Shirou watched with idle curiosity as Blake visibly steeled herself while Weiss all but marched up to her.

    "Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the—”

    “Blake,” Weiss said, cutting her off, “I’m sorry. I unknowingly said some hurtful things to you. I want you to know that, no matter what, you’re my teammate and my friend. I don’t care what you were before, that doesn’t change what you are now.”

    Everyone except Ruby stared in shock at this person claiming to be Weiss. Blake’s lower lip started to tremble as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “Weiss, I—”

    “Just one thing: Next time something this big comes up, promise you'll come to your teammates and not some…” Weiss stopped to regard Shirou who, in turn, quirked an eyebrow at her. “Okay, going to Shirou isn’t that bad of an idea but come to your teammates first!”

    Blake looked from Weiss to the smiling Yang and Ruby before wiping her eyes. “Alright. I promise.” Weiss smiled and nodded, the mood lingering for a second before Ruby shattered it.

    "Yeah! Team RWBY is back together! Group hug!" she shouted before nearly tackling Weiss and Blake. Yang gave a cheer and quickly joined in, ignoring Weiss’ protests even as Blake softly chuckled and returned the hug as best as she could.

    Off to the side, Shirou watched the scene unfold with a melancholic smile. It was good to see them strengthen their bonds. They would need them if they wanted to survive what was headed their way. And as they grew closer, Shirou would watch them, an outsider from beginning to end.

OoOoOoO

    Shirou sat in Professor Ozpin’s office at the top of Beacon Tower as the aged headmaster finished playing the footage of the confrontation on the docks. Even if no one aside from the involved had been present to witness the incident, the CCTV certainly caught it.

    “I take it this had something to do with why you and Blake were absent today,” Ozpin said as he took a sip of his cocoa.

    “Yes. Blake had some problems with her teammates and her past so I helped her work through them.”

    “Her team learned of her status as a Faunus and former member of the White Fang?”

    Shirou had to bite back a smart reply. Of course Ozpin knew about all that. “Not exactly. She simply implied it and then panicked.”

    Ozpin hummed and took another sip of his cocoa, “I take it that her problems are currently under control?”

    “For the moment. However, now that she’s confirmed that the White Fang are behind all of the Dust robberies and are working with Roman, I fear that she might do something drastic in the future.”

    “Something like go off the radar for three days and then interfere with the operations of a known terrorist organization with only one person as backup?”

    “Point taken.”

    “Still, you have done fine work so far, Shirou. I’m glad to see that you’re still willing to help others out even without a mission.”

    “Blake is one of Ruby’s friends so of course I’d help her,” Shirou said defensively.

    Ozpin hummed and smirked knowingly. “I see that you were forced to use your Projection magecraft. How did that go?”

    “Ruby thought it was the coolest thing ever and Blake was similarly impressed. Yang thought it was cool and Weiss seemed interested. I explained it as being my Semblance which I said was the ability to replicate any simple bladed weapon I see.”

    Ozpin nodded before looking down at his Scroll when it went off with a message notification. “Well, keep up the good work, Shirou. You’re dismissed.”

OoOoOoO

    Elsewhere, in one of Vale’s seediest locations, Roman tiredly trudged into the warehouse that served as his base of operations, a briefcase that contained the sum total of what they managed to successfully steal that night in his hand. He placed the briefcase down on a nearby table and wearily sighed as he cursed Red and that kid who came right out nowhere to kick his ass and that freakily strong girl with those huge-ass laserbeams.

    Roman nearly jumped out of his skin when a scarily familiar and wholly unwelcome voice came from the darkness.

    "How very disappointing, Roman,” a certain black-haired bitch said in a tone that was terrifyingly seductive.

    "Whoa! Hehe... I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..." Roman said quickly as he turned to face them. Being ever so fond of theatrics as they were, two of the three pests were completely hidden by shadow, only their outlines visible, while the third, the woman who spoke, somehow managed to stand in such a perfect spot that only her long, black hair and piercing yellow eyes were visible.

    "We were expecting... more from you,” she said, the threat painfully obvious to anyone with half a brain.

    "Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang," Roman quickly fired back. While he honestly had nothing against the Faunus, he also wasn’t above throwing them, or anyone, under the bus to save his own skin.

    The woman chuckled darkly. "And you will continue to do so," she said before making a fireball appear in her hand as she and her lackeys walked fully into the light. One was a silver-haired man that just saturated the air with smugness while the other was a mint-haired, dark-skinned girl with red eyes who, going by her super serious expression, had a stick shoved so far up her ass that Roman was surprised that it didn’t come out of her mouth.

    "We have big plans for you, Roman. All we ask is... a little cooperation."

 

 **Volume 1  
** **Ripples in the Water  
** **END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Told you it was going to be crazy. I'm also pretty sure that a lot of you have been waiting for this moment.
> 
> I have a couple of announcements to make. The first is sadly bad news. "Remnants of Fate" is going to be going on an indefinite hiatus. The plan had been for me to finish writing Volume 2 while Volume 1 was being posted (since I had finished Volume 1 before the first chapter went up) but that didn't happen for a lot of reasons. While I _could_ post the few chapters I already have finished and try to just stay a week or two ahead of my uploads, I don't want to do that. While it saddens me that this has to happen, this is the best way I can think of to maintain the quality of the story. Just think of it as the season breaks the show proper has.
> 
> That being said, there are going to be two more "chapters" uploaded today. They won't be proper chapters but just extra material. The first will be the Volume 1 Omake Collection for your convenience. The second is something a little special that you'll just have to see for yourself. I hope you enjoy the extra content.
> 
> As you saw, Volume 1 as a whole is titled "Ripples in the Water." Every Volume will have a name that reflects or describes the central theme of the volume. In the case of Volume 1, the theme was that the rock known as Emiya Shirou (and some other Nasuverse stuff) was dropped into the pond known as RWBY and we were observing the ripples this caused and seeing what those ripples stirred up.


	11. Volume 1 Omake Collection

**Omake 1**  
The Next Mission  
During V1C1

    Shirou and Ozpin sat in the former’s apartment in silence, sipping tea as the wall clock ticked on. Shirou had only been back in Vale for an hour before Ozpin had shown up as planned.

    “I want you to join my academy,” Ozpin finally said after finishing his tea.

    “Any reason why?” Shirou asked as he refilled Ozpin’s cup.

    “A number of them, actually. You have been in Remnant for a few months now and while you have been studiously studying our world ever since you awoke, we feel that you’ll be better served by studying in a more scholastic setting.”

    “You sound like Glynda,” Shirou observed cooly before taking a sip of his tea.

    “Yes, she was rather insistent upon that matter. Moving on, if you manage to graduate from Beacon, your degree and official Huntsman license will no doubt make your life easier in the future. Your time there might also let you form connections.”

    “You mentioned something about having my next mission lined up. What is it?”

    Ozpin smiled as he sat down his teacup and pulled out his Scroll. “I want you to enroll in Beacon in order to watch over someone of importance,” he said as he sent Shirou some files. “You remember the story of the Silver Eyed Warriors, do you not?”

    Shirou opened the files on his Scroll and began reading through them. “Yes. An ancient race of people who possessed the power to kill Grimm just by looking at them. I take it this Ruby Rose is one of them?”

    “The last one of them, as far as we know. I want you to watch over her and help her in any way you can.”

    “She’s only 15. What’s she doing in Beacon?”

    “Her physical capabilities far exceed her contemporaries and are on par with the others taking the entrance exam this year. Her scholastic abilities are also exemplary.”

    “I don’t think dragging her away from all of her friends will do her any favors.”

    “Her older half-sister, Yang Xiao Long, will also be attending this year and there are a few other hopefuls that I’m certain she’ll get along with.”

    “Does this have anything to do with that robbery she thwarted a few days ago?”

    “Partially. I had been heavily considering extending an invitation for some time now and that incident simply solidified matters and presented a golden opportunity to ask.”

    Shirou hummed as he closed the files and locked his Scroll. “You think Salem will make a move against her while she’s at Beacon?”

    “I don’t think Salem knows of her existence and I would like to keep it that way as long as possible. However, given her personality and knack for finding trouble, I doubt she’ll remain an unknown for much longer.

    “That’s where you come in. She will become a target for Salem eventually and you can do your best to prepare her for that. The teachers at Beacon will give her the best education they can but they can’t play favorites without raising too many questions and garnering too much scrutiny. You, however, can. You are in a very unique position and have an equally unique skill set. It is my belief that you can prepare her for her future.”

    Shirou sighed deeply as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I don’t like the idea of going back to school but I can’t deny what you’re saying. Very well. I’ll do it.”

    “Excellent. The initiation ceremony is one week from now. The airship for new students will leave the port at 10:30. Your Huntsman attire will be appropriate and make sure to bring your equipment. Everything else will be provided for you.

    “One last thing,” Ozpin said as he stood and made his way over to the door before smiling mischievously at Shirou over his shoulder. “Welcome to Beacon.”

**Omake 2**   
A Dark Shadow  
During V1C4

    Deep in Vale’s warehouse district, in the office of the most out-of-the-way warehouse he could find, sat Roman Torchwick. Being Vale’s self-proclaimed greatest crime boss, Roman made sure to always be dressed to the nines and to carrying himself with impeccable style and power. With his red-lined white suit jacket; black pants, shoes, and gloves; small, gray scarf; and red-banded, black bowler hat (his personal favorite), he looked like a man who lived high on the finer things of life. His bright orange hair, the bangs of which were almost always swept over one of his green eyes, used to be a point of contention in his younger days but now his distinctive hair and dress just served to inspire fear and respect.

    As Roman kicked his feet up onto his desk and lit a fine cigar with a custom-made lighter, he reflected on just how perfectly everything had been going lately. Sure, that Cinder bitch had been really bossy and working with the White Fang wasn’t really a highlight of his career (he honestly didn’t give two shits about the Faunus but working with people who looked down on him grinded his gears) but his profit margin was through the roof and he stood to gain even more soon enough. He might even have enough to forego using abandoned warehouses as a base and instead purchase a business to use as a front or even start bribing politicians to make his life a bit easier.

    Of course, not all was sunshine and roses. That girl that had thwarted one of his robberies a bit over a week back had been all kinds of annoying and the phone call he just had with his contact in the White Fang could have gone better but it’d all work out. He just had to play his cards right, keep an eye on things, and he’d come out on top no problem.

    Right on time, a White Fang courier came into his office with a trolley carrying a large crate. With practiced ease, Roman reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a stack of Lien before tossing it onto his desk.

    “Open it,” Roman commanded after the courier took the cash. The courier pulled out a crowbar and popped open the lid of the crate revealing a large cache of Dust crystals of all colors. Roman got up and casually walked around his desk before withdrawing a blue crystal and examining it. As the dim light from the overhead lamp reflected off of the crystal’s flawless surface, Roman couldn’t help the wicked smile that came to his lips. As he turned to face the map of Vale on the wall and his eyes fell to the large circle marking Beacon Academy, he had but one thing to say:

    “We’re gonna need more men…"

**Omake 3**   
What’s in a Name  
After V1C5

    “Hey, Shirou, do you have a moment?” Ruby Rose asked one day as everyone was on their way to lunch.

    “Sure. What do you need?”

    “Well, I was just thinking about everyone’s weapons and I realized that you never told me the name of yours.”

    “That’s because it doesn’t have one.”

    Ruby looked at Shirou like he had just spouted off one of Nora’s insane theories. “What do you mean it doesn’t have a name?”

    “It just doesn’t have one.”

    “You mean you didn’t name it when you were designing it?”

    “I didn’t design it. It was a gift given to me and its design was based on my abilities.”

    “Well, did the person who made it give it a name?”

    “If they did, they didn’t tell me. I honestly couldn’t even tell you who made it.”

    “How could your weapon not have a name?”

    “I honestly don’t see why this is such a big deal.”

    To that, Ruby actually scoffed and looked taken aback. “It’s the biggest deal! Your weapon reflects who you are! Its name is just as important as your own!”

    Ruby’s words brought Noble Phantasms to Shirou’s mind and how they were an integral part to the identity of a Heroic Spirit. “Maybe,” Shirou allowed, “but I still don’t see a point in it for me. Crescent Rose being named as it is may be important to you but my bow-sword being nameless suits me just fine.”

    Ruby looked deeply concerned as she chewed on her bottom lip but continued on before Shirou could say anything else. “Well, what about your Soul Surge? You have a name for that, right? Mine’s called Fairy Law.”

    It was clear that Ruby was almost desperately searching for something but Shirou had no idea what so he plowed onward. “I honestly haven’t given that whole concept much thought since I learned about it. I certainly don’t have a name for it.”

    Ruby stared into Shirou’s eyes for a long moment, clearly deeply concerned. Feeling uncomfortable, Shirou was about to speak up when Ruby once again beat him to it. “Well, we should go eat. Thanks for telling me, Shirou.”

    “It’s no problem.”

**Omake 4**   
The Way to the Heart  
Before V1C7

    “Oh! Ren! Good morning. What are you doing up so early?” Shirou asked as he entered the third-floor kitchen to start breakfast.

    “There’s something I wanted to ask you. A favor, actually,” Ren answered, his body language unusually nervous.

    “Anything.”

    “Do you think… you could… teach me how to cook?” Ren asked, only meeting Shirou’s eyes with brief glances.

    Shirou was torn between being amused and concerned. Ren was usually so calm and controlled, very rarely showing any emotion outside of amused exasperation at Nora’s antics. To see him not only nervous but also blatantly showing it was more than a little odd, to say the least.“Sure. What made you interested to learn, if you don’t mind my asking.”

    “Oh, it’s… nothing really. I’ve always been a bit of a decent cook but recently I just… This is honestly rather embarrassing.”

    “You don’t have to tell me.”

    “No, if I’m going to be inconveniencing you then you deserve to know why. You see, Nora and I have known each other since we were children and we’ve had only each other to rely on for most of our lives. I used to do all of the cooking, especially breakfast, and she always loved it but since you started cooking, well… She’s said that your cooking is the best she’s ever had and I just wanted to improve my own cooking skills so that she can enjoy my cooking again.”

    With his explanation finished, Ren and Shirou stood silently for a moment before the most surprising thing happened:

    Shirou laughed.

    It wasn’t a small chuckle like he had done before but a genuine, full laugh. Ren felt like he should have been insulted but the simple fact that, to his knowledge, Shirou had never laughed before in the time that he’s known him despite having heard his team _and_ Team RWBY laugh numerous times gave him pause.

    When Shirou’s laughter finally calmed down, he smiled brightly at Ren. “Sorry about that. Your situation just brought back some memories. I’m more than happy to help you.”

    “Thanks, Shirou,” Ren said as he stepped up to the counter as Shirou started pulling out ingredients and utensils.

    “It’s no problem, Ren.”


	12. Volume 1 Stat Sheets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: My little surprise is this: Stat sheets for all of the major characters! These stats are laid out like they are in the Nasuverse with a couple of minor changes. There are a few things that probably need explaining but I'll explain those in the end note. One thing that's absolutely worth noting is that these stats are _not_ equivalent to a Servant's with the exception of Luck. Just because one person has an Endurance of C doesn't mean that they can take the same amount of punishment as Lancer.

##  **Emiya Shirou:**

**Affiliation:** Beacon Academy  
**Color:** None  
**Sex:** Male  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 167 cm/58 kg  
**Alignment:** Neutral Good  
**Semblance:**???

**Strength:** D+  
**Endurance:** D  
**Agility:** C-  
**Prana:** D  
**Aura:** C+  
**Luck:** EX  
**Technique:** D+—C  
**Soul Surge:** ???  
**Noble Phantasm:** ???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * **Magecraft:** C-
  * **Eye of the Mind (True):** D+
  * **Clairvoyance:** D



**Soul Surges:** ???

  * ****Level 1:** ???**



**Noble Phantasm:**

  * **Unlimited Blade Works:** ??? E-A++
  * ****Avalon:** Barrier EX**  



##  **Ruby Rose:**

**Affiliation:** Team RWBY  
**Color:** Red  
**Sex:** Female  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 157 cm/53 kg  
**Alignment:** Lawful Good  
**Semblance:** Speed

**Strength:** D  
**Endurance:** D-  
**Agility:** C-  
**Aura:** D+  
**Luck:** B+  
**Technique:** D-  
**Soul Surge:**???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Instinct:** D-**
  * **Clairvoyance:** E



**Soul Surges:** Fairy Law 

  * ****Level 1:** ???**



##  **Weiss Schnee:**

**Affiliation:** Team RWBY, Schnee Dust Company  
**Color:** White  
**Sex:** Female  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 160 cm/50 kg  
**Alignment:** Lawful Good  
**Semblance:** Glyphs

**Strength:** E  
**Endurance:** E  
**Agility:** D  
**Aura:** C-  
**Luck:** C  
**Technique:** D  
**Soul Surge:**???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Dust Usage:** D-**



**Soul Surges:** ???

  * ****Level 1:** **???



##  **Blake Belladonna:**

**Affiliation:** Team RWBY  
**Color:** Black  
**Sex:** Female  
**Race:** Cat Faunus  
**Height/Weight:** 168 cm/55 kg  
**Alignment:** Chaotic Good  
**Semblance:** Shadow

**Strength:** E+  
**Endurance:** E+  
**Agility:** C  
**Aura:** D-  
**Luck:** E  
**Technique:** D  
**Soul Surge:**???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Presence Concealment:** D-**



**Soul Surges:** ??? 

  * ****Level 1:** **???



##  **Yang Xiao Long**

**Affiliation:** Team RWBY  
**Color:** Yellow  
**Sex:** Female  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 173 cm/60 kg  
**Alignment:** Chaotic Good  
**Semblance:** ???

**Strength:** C  
**Endurance:** C-  
**Agility:** E+  
**Aura:** C-  
**Luck:** E+  
**Technique:** E+  
**Soul Surge:** ???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Battle Continuation:** ** D-
  * **Bravery:** D



**Soul Surges:** ??? 

  * ****Level 1:**** ???



##  **Jaune Arc:**

**Affiliation:** Team JNPR  
**Color:** White  
**Sex:** Male  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 185 cm/75 kg  
**Alignment:** Lawful Good  
**Semblance:** ???

**Strength:** E-  
**Endurance:** E-  
**Agility:** E-  
**Aura:** A++  
**Luck:** D  
**Technique:** E-  
**Soul Surge:** ???  
**Noble Phantasm:** ???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Eye of the Mind (Fake):** ** E-



**Soul Surges:** ???

  * ****Level 1:** ???**



**Noble Phantasms:**

  * ****Crocea Mors:** ???**



##  **Nora Valkyrie:**

**Affiliation:** Team JNPR  
**Color:** Pink  
**Sex:** Female  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 155 cm/53 kg  
**Alignment:** Chaotic Good  
**Semblance:** ???

**Strength:** C-  
**Endurance:** C-  
**Agility:** D-  
**Aura:** D  
**Luck:** B-  
**Technique:** D-  
**Soul Surge:** ???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Riding:** E+**



**Soul Surges:** ???

  * ****Level 1:** **???



##  **Pyrrha Nikos:**

**Affiliation:** Team JNPR  
**Color:** Red  
**Sex:** Female  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 183 cm/73 kg  
**Alignment:** Lawful Good  
**Semblance:** Polarity

**Strength:** D+  
**Endurance:** D-  
**Agility:** C  
**Aura:** C+  
**Luck:** C+  
**Technique:** C  
**Soul Surge:** ???

**Personal Skills:**  

  * **Eye of the Mind (True):** C-
  * **Clairvoyance:** D-
  * **Battle Continuation:** C-



**Soul Surges:** ??? 

  * ****Level 1:** **???



##  **Lie Ren:**

**Affiliation:** Team JNPR  
**Color:** Green  
**Sex:** Male  
**Race:** Human  
**Height/Weight:** 175 cm/62 kg  
**Alignment:** Lawful Good  
**Semblance:** Extrasensory Concealment

**Strength:** D-  
**Endurance:** D-  
**Agility:** C  
**Aura:** C-  
**Luck:** C+  
**Technique:** D+  
**Soul Surge:** D-

**Personal Skills:**  

  * ****Knowledge of Foremost Harmony:** ** D+



**Soul Surges:** Succession Art

  * ****Level 1:** ** Spiraling Lotus



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you're unfamiliar with what the skills mean, you can find all of them on the Type-Moon wiki. Anything not revealed in the story so far is not listed here. That's why Yang, Jaune, and Nora have question marks for their Semblances despite us knowing what they are from the show. You'll also notice that the name of Ren's Semblance has changed (not that it had a proper name to begin with). Ren's Semblance makes him totally invisible to all forms of supernatural presence detection like Shirou's sense of smell. I would say this is him being buffed but, as far as I know, his Semblance could totally work that way in canon, too, since we haven't seen anything proving otherwise.


End file.
